Uisce Éireann spend average of €4k on media training before every Oireachtas committee appearance
Irish utility company Uisce Éireann is facing scrutiny from the Public Accounts Committee over its spending on media training for senior staff. The company has spent over €65,000 on external communications support ahead of committee appearances.
Why it matters
The report raises questions about public spending transparency and executive remuneration within state-backed utility providers.
UISCE ÉIREANN HAS been spending €4,000 on media training for its senior staff before every Oireachtas committee appearance.
The figure was revealed in a response to a question from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which leaders of the utility company will face today.
Since 2021, Uisce Éireann has made 16 appearances before Oireachtas committees, and has hired Gibney Communication to help them prepare each time.
The total spent on these sessions comes to €65,730, inclusive of VAT.
It works out to an average of €4,108 per committee appearance.
In notes given to PAC ahead of today’s meeting, Uisce Éireann stressed that it carries out the vast majority of its communications work in-house, but external public relations support is used “selectively for strategic advice” when it comes to media appearances and campaigns.
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