'Showbiz' NDP launch that cost ?340,000
Former Labour leader Ruairi Quinn branded the ?340,000 splurge of taxpayers' money on the glossy NDP document and its launch as the "the most expensive election manifesto we have ever seen".
The plan, covering the 2007-2013 period, was unveiled with much razzmatazz at an event on January 23 at Dublin Castle. The high-profile attendance included most of the cabinet, representatives from the government's social partners and a number of other bodies for an event heralding one of the Government's main election launch pads.
But Finance Minister Brian Cowen has now told Mr Quinn that the estimated total cost for the production of the glossy document and the launch was ?340,000. The bulk of this - ?265,000 - was spent on producing the actual NDP document.
"It's all showbiz now," said Mr Quinn. "The Government has lost the run of itself with this kind of spending of people's money.
"This is an absolutely outrageous amount of money to spend on the launch, especially as the venue came free. You could get 10 special-needs assistants for that amount of money.
"This was completely over the top. It is typical of this department (Finance). . . . But when it comes to people looking for money for a school extension, it is a different story," he said.
Invoices
Mr Cowen said not all the invoices relating to the production of the document and the launch had yet been received. He would inform Mr Quinn if there was any "significant difference" from this estimate when all the invoices were in.
The minister disclosed that the cost of the production, printing and translation of the NDP document was "some ?265,000. The residual cost of some ?75,000 includes costs associated with the production of a multimedia resource for use at the launch, development of the NDP 2007-2013 logo and catering for the event."
- Gene McKenna
