![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Projectireland2040ConferenceSligoLeoVaradkar160218_large.jpg\")
The taxpayer is footing the bill for State propaganda, according to Fianna F\u00e1il.<\/p>\nThe taxpayer is footing the bill for State propaganda, according to Fianna F\u00e1il.<\/p>\n
The Government’s Strategic Communications Unit has been called before an Oireachtas committee after questions were raised over advertorials placed in newspapers.<\/p>\n
There have been reports that newspapers were told to make ads for the Ireland 2040 project look like part of the regular news cycle, and not paid-for content.<\/p>\n
This is something the Taoiseach denied yesterday.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said: “There is no direction from my department, or from anyone within my department, to people or to editors to blur the lines between the news and an information campaign.”<\/p>\n
The Government also said in a statement they operated the ads through a third-party company, and the Strategic Communications Unit had no contact with individual titles.<\/p>\n
However, Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy has made an official complaint to the advertising standards authority about it:<\/p>\n
Ms Murphy said: “They are there to make sure that the unsuspecting person is covered, and that when somebody buys a newspaper, they know that when they are on a page, that it is a page full of news, and that they know when they are on a page that is full of advertising.”<\/p>\n
Fianna F\u00e1il’s Timmy Dooley says there needs to be more accountability for taxpayers money.<\/p>\n
He said: “The abuse of taxpayers’ money, which it is, is effectively the sale of State propaganda.”<\/p>\n
The Strategic Communications Unit say they had no final sign-off or editorial input into the ads, but the opposition say it has blurred the lines between real and fake news.<\/p>\n