FG-Labour communication skills in question

The coalition of Fine Gael and Labour became increasingly concerned during its first year in office about its poor record on communicating government policy to the public.

Many government departments did not have a press officer in 1983.

During a cabinet meeting in Barrettstown Castle on Jun 20 that year, Garret FitzGerald, then taoiseach, said the absence of political advisers made it impossible to co-ordinate government policy in a politically sensitive way. The Fine Gael leader claimed this was an even greater problem than the lack of press officers.