The man who previously led the Government’s controversial Strategic Communications Unithas been asked to coordinate the public communications campaign on the coronavirus outbreak. Mr Concannon is currently vice president at NUI Galway and also has responsibilities in the Department of Foreign Affairs. A spokesman for the Government said that as part of its “communications response to Covid-19 and the escalating nature of the situation, John Concannon has been enlisted to specifically coordinate public information communications across Government and its agencies”. The disbanded unit faced criticism over “advertorial” material it placed in newspapers which were seen as favouring Fine Gael election candidates, a charge strenuously denied by Mr Concannon. Mr Fraser said that the continuing controversy dogging the unit, in addition to a Dáil motion calling for its disbandment, warranted its winding down.

Source: The Irish Times March 17, 2020 15:33 UTC