Taoiseach didn’t advertise for ‘spin’ jobs in unit

THE Department of the Taoiseach did not advertise for roles in a new dedicated spin office and Leo Varadkar personally chose its head, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Mr Varadkar has also revealed he wants the new Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) to take on the unification of the branding and logos of departments. The SCU, which has six staff, appears to mirror the Government Information Service. Mr Varadkar told the Dáil he personally selected the head of the SCU, John Concannon, who was involved in co-ordinating The Gathering and the 1916 commemorations. He’ll be earning between €122,313 and €139,728. A spokesman for the Taoiseach said there were no interviews because civil servants were moved from other areas of the civil service. Labour’s Joan Burton told the Dáil she believed the unit’s total salaries came to €420,000 and that’s before three additional staff are hired.