That €5m spin unit is a blow to democracy

NO MATTER how the Taoiseach frames it, the new Strategic Communications Unit is a propaganda tool for the Government. Leo Varadkar says it is a great way to communicate directly with citizens and will save money, but in fact it will exist to spin every story to make him look good.

Micheál Martin was correct to describe it to the Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis as Orwellian and a vehicle for doublespeak, a conclusion underlined by the briefing document seen by the Irish Mail on Sunday, which coaches the Taoiseach on what to say when asked awkward questions.

We were told the unit would have six staff, although more than that are already being recruited. And while it was promised that the existing Government Information Service would remain, it seems inevitable it will be subsumed into the new body. As for the promise that the unit would be cost-neutral, that was blown out of the water by the allocation of €5m to fund it.

We know from history that to control the people, you must control the flow of information. It is disturbing that Mr Varadkar believes he needs a spin unit and there is little doubt that, despite assurances, it will be politically motivated and used to make Fine Gael look good. It is hard to find any reason why such a unit is necessary when the GIS has performed a politically neutral function for decades.

Around the world, we are watching the return of authoritarianism. There is no room for even the tiniest whiff of it here.