Editorial: Cullen's 'direct discussions' with Leech cost €87,462

The veniality of Martin Cullen is evident from the outset of the report by the former chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, Dermot Quigley, on the Monica Leech controversy. It states "from the start of his tenure (as a junior Minister in the Office of Public Works) he wanted the work of OPW around the country to be more widely publicised... This need became more urgent in the context of major (OPW) projects in Waterford" (Cullen's constituency).

He urged the engagement of a local associate, Monica Leech, and a few meetings took place where he broached this issue again, primarily with the OPW press officer. Then, surprisingly, this press officer discovered there was a "need" for a publicity person "on the ground" in Waterford, but, apparently, nowhere else in the country, aside (hilariously) from Farmleigh House, the outrageous extravagance for which Martin Cullen was primarily responsible and for which alone he should be debarred from ministerial office (it went on sale for £13m, he contrived to buy it for the State for £23m and then it required a further £20m to kit it out).

Monica Leech was engaged by the OPW as "Consultant in the Position of Project Information Co-Coordinator" (could there be a more revealingly damaging title?). What project? Co-coordinator of what? For this she was paid €23,610, plus travel and subsistence of €1,866 and expenses of €12,496. We are assured that the chairman of the OPW considered her work "very satisfactory". In the light of the "urgency" at Ministerial and official levels for this appointment, Dermot Quigley considered the procedures adopted in the OWP engagement of Monica Leech appropriate.

Among the work undertaken by Leech for the OPW concerned the announcement of a competition, the Waterford North Quays International Architectural and Urban Design Competition. Also the opening ceremony of refurbished government offices at Waterford, apparently refurbished government offices require an opening ceremony and, not alone that, with an announcement of a ceremony for which a public relations consultant has to be engaged.

Oh, and she was also involved in publicising the renovation of the local Cathedral, the refurbishment of the Tramore Coastguard Station, the Kilmacthomas Garda station and a drainage scheme. Martin Cullen got promoted to cabinet rank as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in June 2002 and "very shortly" after his appointment he "made it clear to senior management (in the Department) that he wished to have professional communications and PR advice available to deal with a range of policy issues facing him and the Department", although the Department already was well stocked with press officers and, in addition, had engaged the services of an outside public relations consultancy agency, Drury Communications. And who did he have in mind? Ms Monica Leech.

So urgent was the requirement to make this appointment, that the normal tendering process was not appropriate. He suggested that the Department write to Monica Leech and ask her to submit a quotation for a short term contract. She replied on 3 July, 2002 (Martin Cullen was not yet in office for a full month) quoting a fee of €650 per day on a 12 day a month basis. A formal contract was entered into within a week.

They then decided that a longer term contract should be entered into and this required a tendering process. Only two tenders were received and Monica Leech now had a two year contract.

In all, she was paid €265,806 by the Department, plus VAT, plus €25,615 in travel, subsistence and mobile phone expenses.

For this, she had an involvement in publicity for the waste awareness campaign, the national spatial strategy (for which Drury Communications were already specifically engaged), electronic voting (remember that fiasco?), and "an awareness campaign and publicity for county publications issued as part of the National Inventory Architectural heritage". She also had an involvement in a review of the Department's web site and preparations for an informal meeting of EU environment ministers.

There is apparently "little material available on actual inputs and outputs from her work" but, we are assured, she participated in "steering groups and meetings about all these issues". In addition to those labours, "she also regularly discussed progress and strategic aspects with the Minister". What is referred to as "direct discussion with the Minister" occupied one third of her time and, pro rata, these "direct discussions" cost €87,462 plus VAT. She also accompanied Martin Cullen to eight meetings abroad. The Quigley report is vague on what relevance Monica Leech had to these meetings.

And, we are told, there was nothing wrong with all this. Martin Cullen should have suffered disbarment from ministerial office over Farmleigh. He merited that doubly on the electronic voting caper. He merits it thrice over now, over the engagement of Monica Leech.

Vincent Browne