Leo’s SCU in a spin

Top civil servant reviewing Varadkar’s communications unit had 22 official meetings with its head Concannon in 2017

‘In no way could he be considered independent’

Email said ‘mandate’ was to be worked out

THE secretary general of the Government Martin Fraser – who has been appointed to review the controversial Strategic Communications Unit – had 22 official meetings with the head of the unit John Concannon in 2017, according to documents.

Seventeen of the meetings came after Mr Fraser sanctioned the establishment of the SCU on July 7. These emerging details will bolster opposition claims that Mr Fraser is the wrong man to review the unit – an inquiry that will decide whether the €5m unit survives.

Diaries also show Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr Fraser and Mr Concannon met on July 6.

Freedom of Information documents show many emails between Mr Fraser and Mr Concannon discussing the unit. After a storm of controversy over the unit’s management of Government publicity, the Taoiseach announced last week that a review of the unit would be done by Mr Fraser. The announcement led to the most heated Leaders’ Questions debate seen since Mr Varadkar became Taoiseach on Tuesday.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald told the Dáil: ‘In no way could he [Fraser] be considered an independent assessor.’

A senior Government source said last night he believes Mr Fraser will conduct the review ‘impartially’ but that it’s unlikely he’ll suggest winding up the unit.

‘Martin is a combative figure but he is very prickly about this whole SCU thing as he backed it from the start,’ said the minister. ‘I believe Martin will go through the opposition claims line by line and dismiss them,’ he added.

But with waves of opposition attacks on the €5m SCU, and media revelations about the unit’s activities, its future looks shaky. Several ministers speculated last night that the unit will be wound up and, in the words of an ally of Mr Varadkar, ‘repackaged’. Mr Fraser’s official diaries show he met Mr Concannon 22 times in 2017, sometimes with others present but usually one on one. The diaries show their first meeting of 2017 was on Tuesday, April 11. The diaries show it was pencilled in for 16.15-16.25 and says simply ‘John Concannon’.

They met again on Thursday, May 25, at Government Buildings. On this occasion, Mr Concannon is listed as visiting from Creative Ireland. There are two other officials Breege O’Donoghue and Karen Hennessy at the meeting.

Mr Fraser met with Mr Concannon alone on July 3. Mr Fraser, Mr Concannon, the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach’s chief of staff Brian Murphy met on July 6. The following day, July 7, Mr Fraser issued a directive by email that said the unit was to be established.

The email was sent to the most senior civil servants, called the ‘Secretary General Group’. It reads: ‘The Taoiseach has decided to establish a small unit in the Department of the Taoiseach to focus on strategic communications across the Government.

‘This unit will complement, not replace, the existing arrangements in departments and agencies for dealing with press, media and communications.’ It also says the ‘precise mandate’ will be worked out over the following weeks.

Mr Fraser also lists in his diaries meetings with other senior members of the unit – Andrea Pappin, Kate O’Toole and Eugene Farrelly.

A Government spokesman didn’t return our request for a comment.