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THE GOVERNMENT HAS come under criticism from Fianna Fáíl for putting out a tender to assess its public image.
The government is to spend €160,000 on reviewing how the general public understands its work, according to the Irish Examiner who first reported on the story today.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has come under repeated criticism for focusing too much on his government’s public image; only recently the Taoiseach, who’s just spent his first 100 days in office, has set up a strategic communications unit, which was heavily criticised as a vanity project.
But Varadkar defended the move, saying that a strong State communications strategy was necessary to inform people about how their money was being spent.
“I am determined, therefore, that our communications internally within government institutions and externally to the public will adhere to highest international standards,” he said.
A democracy is only as strong as the relationship of trust between government and citizens. Communication is key to that relationship.
In response to the tendering process announced this week, Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on communications, Timmy Dooley, said it was ”another example of spin trumping substance”.
Coming on top of the revelation that a new Central Spin Unit has been created to try to control what is said about the government, it is a pattern that will trouble those who care more about what the government does than what it says.
“With the health system in chaos and unprecedented numbers of our children homeless, it is time that ministers worried less about their image and spent more time doing what they are being paid to do.”
The tender, which can be found here, describes why the services are needed in its introduction:
“The work of the Irish government is vast – over 200 different government bodies constantly producing and updating policies and services, while initiating and running a variety of separate information campaigns annually.
Despite extensive government investment in communications, it can be sometimes be difficult for the public to access the appropriate, up-to-date government information they require.
“There is a need for greater co-ordination and simplification of government communications, to make it easier for Irish people to understand what is happening, what government is doing and the full range of state services, both current and new, that are available.
“Therefore, in addition to an extensive internal audit of all current Government communications that is underway, the Department of the Taoiseach invites tenders for a Research and Insight Survey, to learn how best to communicate with citizens to ensure maximum value for money in all communication expenditure.”
The tender includes market research, surveys and polls, analysis and recommendations for the government.
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Poor bunnys aren’t getting their drugs through. And of course the union etc etc
@Shelly Levine: DUP/ UDA always one and the same thing. Shoosh nobody knows.
@Joe Johnson: The UDA is basically the Twitter account of the DUP.
This to me is the words of a hugely insecure group with an uncertain future. We may well be at an end game here which could result in violence.
@Mjhint:
It’s just little old men who love to hate, and corrupt younger minds to do the same. Sad.
@Mjhint: the brits want out cop on loyalists
“Not welcome in northern Ireland”. The. Irony.
@Biscuits Patinkin: Thats Norn Irony
@D H: excellent!! XD
Why do loyalist PARAMILITARIES still exist?.
@Leonard O’mahony: probably because the republicans ones do
@Leonard O’mahony: Good question
@Leonard O’mahony: To sell drugs, basically.
@Patrick O Connell: The difference being everyone on uk mainland has heard of the Republicans but ask anyone over there about loyalist or unionist paramilitaries – they never heard of them.
@Margaret Doyle: that is complete and utter bs.
@Patrick O Connell: I was wondering how long before someone blamed “ira-sinn Fein” , The Uvf are older than the IRA and they also killed the first victim of the troubles (any random innocent Catholic would have done)
@Margaret Doyle: You do realise nearly 30% of people in England have Irish ancestry and 10% have Grandparents born in Ireland, the majority are still alive and most are living in Ireland, more people in England have grandparents who were born in Ireland than people in Ireland do.
“They haven’t gone away you know”. Imagine the uproar if it was a nationalist paramilitary group. Anyway long and shot of it is these people represent less that 1% of the people of Northern Ireland. They should be ignored because the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland cannot be undermined by terrorists.
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: Well said
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: excellent
@Diarmuid O’Braonáin: Apparently the UDA have 12,500 fully paid up membership. Unlike the IRA, they never decommissioned their weapons and receive pots of peace money from EU, Irish and British governments.
There’s a good story here for a brave journalist to investigate with brave being the operative word here.
Outrageous. Who’s their spokesman? They’ve said they are democrats, which was easy when they had a clear majority, but it’s almost even Stephens now, so if they can’t accept democracy, then they will have to move to Britain.
Like why do they give a rats? If you identify as British what difference does it make in your life if others in your community have access to Irish language material? How does it affect your life in any way shape or form?
@S J king: It’s not identifying as British per se. It’s identifying as supremacist, anti-irish, anti-Catholic British
@S J king: When unionists and loyalists go abroad they always say they’re Irish so they’re just making tics of themselves.
@Margaret Doyle: That’s because been Irish abroad is an advantage. I met many NI Unionists abroad and they socialise with other Irish people from this island.
Clowns
@Mark: that’s them told
@Mark: they are lovely people. Threats for everyone. Unionism must be a delicate flower if everyone needs to be warned to protect it! The NI protocol is down to Boris. Irelands politicians are just asking the UK to stick to what they agreed. Not sure how this is such a bad thing?
@Mark H: The NIP is down to unionist MPs in Westminster who voted against or abstained on every single one of May’s motions which would have insured there was no border anywhere and kept the UK aligned to the EU’S customs union and single market.
Their threats have given the UK Government a problem. Do they give in and make themselves look weak in the face of domestic terrorists. Or do they go in hard and attempt to crush the threat once and for all, thus showing the world that it will not be cowed by the Ulster version of ISIS (religious and political fanaticism ).
@Mick.: Well said
They do know if they collapse the NI Government the British Government is just gonna enact the Irish language act August
Are these the working class loyalists that Eoghan Harris wants to access and assure? Lovely people.
@David F. Dwyer: These thugs have had their jackpots on the throats of Protestant working class communities for years. They threatened and intimidate their own communities so they live in fear.
They threatened the UUP when they announced a candidate to stand in N. Belfast at the last General election. The following day, the UUP withdrew their candidate leaving SFs John Finucane -v- DUPs Nigel Dodds to contest. John Finucane won N. Belfast. SF won W. Belfast, SDLP won S. Belfast and DUP won E Belfast, though Naomi Long increased her vote significantly.
So let Stormont collapse under threats from these thugs and let the DUP find out what it has been like for working class Protestants who’ve lived in fear of these thugs for years.
Then it’s back to Westminster. Are they going to allow democracy to be subverted by these criminals and thugs. They might find British troops back on their streets yet but this time find themselves the target.
@Teresa Ryan: Jackpots ??
They lost their guy when Poots resigned, now they’re making sure Donaldson here’s the threats…..
@Tricia G: *hears (d”oh)
@Tricia G: *Doh ;)
Dear drug dealing terrorists your days are over, now go get lost.
Headline should be “loyalist t3rrorists warn DUP leader to stop concessions to sinn fein. That’s what they are, violent h@te filled s3ctarian t3rrorist sçum. The psni needs to round them up and charge them with being part of a terrorist organisation.
When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression –
sting of a dying wasp
Can’t wait to see what slant R.T.E. put on this.
@Sean Higgins: in the words of Kneecap “ Ná Éist le RTÉ”
“Repair the damage they have created”, you brought this on yourself lads! Time to put the big boy pants on and be accountable for the mess you got yourself in.
Just down from a trip up north, covered around 400km in 2 days, must have seen 1000 loyalist flags, not one republican, peace yes, no reconciliation, if anything it’s more intimidating than previous years…horrible lot.
@Charles Coughlan: The republicans and SF are playing a smart game, they are saying nothing and letting the unionists take all the rope.
Hilarious
The level of delusion, ignorance and lies from unionists about the Irish government’s role in the quagmire that Northern Ireland finds itself in as a result of Brexit is shocking. Its time the Irish government start some kind of educational campaign to inform voters in the north that the responsibility for signing the Brexit deal lies firmly with the UK government. This blaming the Irish government by Unionists needs to stop.
@Mr T: Also at the hands of the DUP who could have ushered in the Teresa May proposals but they held out for the return of a land border on the island of Ireland and that miscalculation is at the very centre of the current impasse. It seems that as ever in NI it’s the shouters who get to set the agenda and the ordinary citizens get to keep their mouths shut but maybe what’s needed now is a general election to see exactly where the support is.
Things are getting heated and now threatening southern politicians.
What makes them so dangerous is that they are playing their last card and it ain’t even a trump card, excuse the pun. If they only realised that we don’t want to visit them and certainly don’t want them to come visit us. They have already outstayed their welcome. Slan agus beannacht an fear oraiste.
But the IRA and stuff…
The squatters are getting nervous as the end of their hundred years as first class citizens is nearing a end
@frank_66: Because of people like you there can never be a peaceful united Ireland.
Who will the unionist paramilitaries attack if the protocol is not removed, will it be London who signed the agreement or Europe.
@Michael Sweeney: it will be us in the Republic of course.
Or they’ll do in their own leader
So once again unelected bullies take it upon themselves to threaten the peaceful majority if they don’t get their way.
•Hardline pick for first minister ✔
(But apparently not hardline enough for DUP)
•Loyalist paramilitaries threats ✔
•Unionism under threat check ✔
• Northern assembly poised for collapse ✔
• Next stop marching season…
If starts up (hope not ) wonder will the RUC/UDA supply the weapons again.
@Gerard Heanue: this time we have Drew Harris maybe he was a good move
Who will the paramilitaries attack if the protocol remains. Will they set bombs in London because they signed the deal or Europe.
Moderates will suceed the Bigots days are numbered
Lovely fellas aren’t they those loyalists . Very reasonable and open minded
They are doing more for a united ireland than other group. Work in England and you will see they are disliked by most and despised by many with their bigoted views. Brexit was all about little England and the north is not part of the equation anymore.
@Kevin O’Hara: I have absolutely no interest in a united Ireland if it involves any concessions to these un evolved half wits. There can never be a united Ireland until there is a united northern Ireland. We are decades away from that.
Sinister and weak.
Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses..
Loyalist clowns be clowning. Gtfo off the island. They are so desperate for control and a return to unionist domination that they will say anything to try a spread fear. I truly hope the ordinary people stand together, across this island, against these absolute fooooooools.
@JustMeHere: problem is that Loyalists are here longer than Americans in America and Australians in Oz.
@Liam Hunter: same in 1921 , just 100 years less
@keyboardwarrior: Another person who needs a history lesson.
The Next Leader to go Is Borris
I miss Pootsy
But Johnson is welcome?
Bright lads or what ?
Micheàl Martin not welcome thought he was friends with the Loyalist having met the UDA & decided he was no longer a Republican,
Terrorist paramilitaries who cares what they say
@Gerrard: The DUP and UUP obviously care about what they say. And that is very interesting because it must be obvious to anyone thinking about taking up the leadership mantle of the DUP that they are expected to do the UDA/UVF’s bidding.
Lets not forget, only 3 weeks ago, Jeffrey Donaldson claimed some of his supporters were threatened by the UDA to vote for Pootsy. Now, Jeffrey is said to be favorite for the job again, so who does he think will be calling the shots this time and who does he think the Loyalists at last nights rally were directing their message to?
Jeffrey the ex UDR officer and gunman, might be swimming against the tide of history, but he’s not a fool. He knows what the loyalists want but he also knows that is not compatible with sharing power. Its not about the protocol or about giving into SF, its about giving to the wishes of democracy and sharing power as equals.
That also means respecting the will of the people if and when they decide by a ballot that they want a united Ireland. Thats what this is really all about, but neither the DUP or their loyalist puppet masters are ready to admit that!
Up to the Irish government to “repair the damage they created”??!! I think our Unionist brethren may find the damage was created by English nationalists who voted for Brexit. But hey ho, why let facts get in the way of a good old sulk.
@Paul Shepherd: You forget to mention Paul, that the DUP went against the wishes of their own voters and majority in the north, who wanted to remain in the EU, and instead cheerlead Boris and the Tory’s to get the hardest Brexit possible, including the very protocol they now oppose.
@Angela McCarthy: How many times do you have to be educated? The referendum question was about the UK not NI.
The way you think you must agree then that Donegal should be an independent country right now because they voted twice against the Lisbon treaty? In fact there should of never been a second vote because under the Irish constitution all referendums are binding and final!
Some Irish people are worthy of being butts of jokes.
@Paul Shepherd: As you already know the referendum was about the UK not NI, NI was no where in the question.
As you think the way you do you must agree then that Donegal should be an independent country right now because they voted twice against the Lisbon treaty? Hows it fair for Europhiles to drag Donegal into the EU against their will, especially when there should of only been 1 vote because in Ireland all referendums are suppose to be binding and final?
Send them back to their Masters in London, who don’t want them and many don’t know they exist.
@brendan o connell: OK Brendan how about you come out from behind your screen and kick the trash back to London? Go on good man you take the lead!
Everyone to blame but themselves what a bunch of numpties.
Time for a tub of popcorn.
Theres troubles ahead. I never want to see a united ireland its pie in the sky nonsense
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