The Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, told the Dáil he preferred to rely on the Department's press office and other departmental resources for PR issues.
During Question Time, Mr Padraig McCormack (FG, Galway West) referred to the decision not to renew the controversial PR contract for Waterford-based Ms Monica Leech. He said that "perhaps it is easier to sack a communications executive than a Minister".
Mr Roche said he preferred to rely on the Department's own resources, "but it must be pointed out that the communications strategy at that time, which has concluded, was successful".
Deputy McCormack said that the contract cost up to €400,000 and that Ms Leech had to submit her final bills. He asked if Minister Roche "would have acted as his predecessor did".
Mr Roche said it was a hypothetical consideration about which he was not willing to speculate. He said the report by Mr Dermot Quigley on the controversy surrounding the awarding of the contract was excellent and expeditious.
"I do not know what the situation was at the time," said Mr Roche. "However, I know that Mr Quigley's report puts a somewhat different snas on the issues than that suggested by Deputy McCormack."
He said the specific recommendation for his Department was that it should review and consolidate its internal advice on all aspects of procurement and "this recommendation is accepted and will be implemented fully over the coming weeks".
