Coveney to probe cost of photos

AGRICULTURE Minister Simon Coveney is to investigate why more than €6,700 of taxpayers’ money was spent on a three-day photoshoot at the National Ploughing Championships.

The photographs, taken by Fennell Photography, capture Mr Coveney and junior agriculture minister Shane McEntee in a variety of poses throughout the three-day event, including Mr Coveney in wellies, Mr Coveney wearing a chef’s hat while cooking, and the minister posing with a variety of food produce exhibited at the various stalls. Some of the images are posted on the department’s website.

When asked on the eve of what promises to be a punishing budget why it was necessary to spend so much department funding on publicity, Mr Coveney said: “The honest answer is I don’t have all the details. It does seem like a lot was spent and I am a little bit taken aback. Obviously, we need to make sure that any money spent on PR or photography represents value for money and if, when I follow it up, it turns out that we overspent, it won’t happen again.”