€1.1m spent on PR amid health crisis

THE Department of Health (DOH) has spent more than €1.1 million on external public relations expertise since the general election.

The Labour Party has described the spend as "inexcusable" and questioned such expenditure of taxpayers' money when there were hundreds on trollies at A&E units.

Ten public relations contracts were awarded to four different agencies between June 2002 and last month, according to the Department of Health.