A Sligo/Leitrim TD is calling for an examination of the government’s advertising of the Ireland 2040 Plan that was launched in Sligo recently.
It follows a call by Fianna Fail for the Standards in Public Office Commission to investigate if the publicity campaign for the plan has broken ethics rules.
That campaign involved extensive advertising, including in newspapers.
Fianna Fail Deputy Marc MacSharry, a member of the Public Accounts Committee, is claiming the expenditure involved is an abuse of taxpayers’ money for political purposes:
But the Taoiseach has hit back at Fianna Fáil in the Dail today.
Leo Varadkar denies the government spin doctors told newspapers to make the sponsored content look like real news saying the advertorials were clearly marked as being paid for by the state.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar hit out at Fianna Fáil, saying they did the same thing with plans of theirs when they were in government.
