State Papers 1977 - Dunlop sought to pay media’s phone bills

FORMER government spin doctor Frank Dunlop attempted to cut costs for media groups by landing the exchequer with bills for reversed phone call charges.

Mr Dunlop — who became head of the Government Information Service when Jack Lynch’s Fianna Fáil government was swept to power in mid-1977 — pushed for the media savings to “improve” relations with editors.

He wanted to pay their phone bills in order to improve their “goodwill”.