Reilly paid PR firm €15k from Dáil allowance

Ministers are availing of a special allowance for secretarial services, consultancy, policy advice, and public relations, according to details supplied by their offices.

James Reilly, the health minister, paid a public relations company €15,000 for advice on health reform as well as for speech writing advice, his office confirmed.

He paid the money last year to the Communications Clinic, whose directors are PR consultant Terry Prone and Tom Savage, the chairman of the RTÉ board.