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THE GOVERNMENT’S STRATEGIC Communications Unit (SCU) will be wound down by July.
The Taoiseach informed his ministers of his decision at today’s Cabinet meeting.
The decision follows a review of the unit by the Secretary General of the Department of An Taoiseach, Martin Fraser.
Set up last year, the SCU was established to streamline government communications.
It exists in tandem with the current Government Information Service (GIS), employs 15 people and has a budget of €5 million.
In addition to the winding down of the body, the budget is to be cut by 50% and staff reduced. Going forward, the unit will also play no role in any major government campaigns. It is understood GIS will now take over any future promotion of government campaigns.
The unit came in for strong criticism in the last couple of months as a result of the fallout from a government advertising campaign around the Ireland 2040 National Planning Framework.
Questions were raised about how advertorials in newspapers were presented during the €1.5 million rollout of the plan.
The SCU headed up a sweeping strategy to promote the plan across traditional and online media.
The scandal resulted in opposition politicians calling for the unit to be disbanded. Last week, the government lost a vote in the Dáil calling for the unit, which has been dubbed the Taoiseach’s “spin unit”, to be shut down.
A total of 85 TDs voted in favour of the motion put forward by Sinn Féin. 49 voted to keep it.
Another new hotel in Dublin, fantastic, tourists can enjoy the city filled with tourists and other hotels, I hope they design comfortable doorways so maybe some Irish people can get a night’s rest too
@Fenster: Abbey Street is set to become a big area for hotels / tourists, there’s a further 3 hotels and one hostel with planning on Abbey street, 3 near Jervis and 1 near the Four Courts.
@Fenster: Yea the tax intake from more tourists visiting the city will add to the public coffers so when the next crash comes it wont hit as bad. Ita great to see one of our industries is growing and is not dependant on Irish people getting credit to finance it.
There’s more than a few ungainly sights around the Ha’penny Bridge.
Good to see a complaint from An Taisce be rejected for a change. If they were around in the 17 & 1800s they likely would have objected to the very buildings that they now claim to be part of our heritage! Blockers to progress.
@Dave Cunningham:
Google Wide Street Commission instead of wasting time posting here.
Good lad.
@Dave Cunningham: The Pinkos in an Taisce will appeal to Bord Pleanala and it will definitely be refused as usual.
@Michael Fehily:
Most likely because you are a gargantuan tool.
Great place for a cheap hotel. The options around D1 all run at €200+ for a Saturday night so this sounds great! Also, that corner of Abbey street is scaldy and really takes away from the impressive entrance to Arnotts a few doors up.
Used this hotel a few times in Germany. Good value hotel with a nice design and its comfortable with good service. I wonder will it be more expensive here? Ive used it in Munich and Berlin for about 80 eur a night. Few years back.
@Anne: Yes you can bet it will be a lot more expensive here
Maybe they could bring a major German street cleaning crew with them ….state of Dublin City centre at the moment is cringe worthy …. if I was a tourist coming here I’d think the Irish are filthy,not a good message to be sending them home with :-(
@Bob Beal: I totally agree Bob man. I was passing through early one morning last year walking down O Connell Street and the stink of urine, alcohol and cheap perfume was absolutely retched. I thought crikey what do tourists think.
Just look at the state of abbey street site how can you object?
Great news. Hurry up Noel.That area needs tidying up quickly.
This will be appealed to an bord planeala I’d say so won’t be built anytime soon
@madabot:
I hope so. It’s absolutely hideous. I definitely agree that something should be built there but not nine stories high and not with complete disregard for the buildings around it and the streets that it’s on.
@Anton Dec:
You are right there, nine stories is way too low! They should knock all the buildings and bring them up to line.
IMO Dublin could do with another 20 -30 hotels…. demand is definitely there..
It would be a great addition to what is currently a very run down area of Tge North Central Dublin district .
Unfortunately the pinkos in An Taisce and Bord Pleanala will refuse it because of height and bulk …
Imagine waking up after a night out in town going out after your breakfast on to Abbey St and O Connell st – zombie land with drug dealers on every corner.
@Cranky: Blah blah…. Waffle
@Michael Fehily: He is right and anybody who walks around the area on a regular basis could tell you ,
Old Dublin is slowly going, Moore Street has being ruined….
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