Government criticised over PR spending

Opposition parties are criticising the Government over its spending on public relations consultants.

Since coming to power the Fianna Fail-led Government has spent almost £10.5m on public relations, ensuring that it has a higher profile than the parties that are in opposition.

The figure was totalled up after most of the Government departments responded to a request in the Dail for the exact amounts spent on PR.

However, a failure to respond from the Departments of Education and Foreign Affairs means that the figure is likely to be even higher.

The Fine Gael spokesperson for Health, Gay Mitchell, said that with increasing waiting lists in hospitals and people not being given medical cards, the Government has lost its sense of priority.