A former Fianna Fáil general secretary and a former special adviser to the Taoiseach are advising an industry group formed to campaign against the Government's plan to ban smoking in pubs and restaurants from next January, writes Carl O'Brien.
Mr Martin Mackin and Mr Jackie Gallagher are founders of the public relations company advising the alliance of publicans, hoteliers and owners of restaurants and guesthouses who are opposed to elements of the proposed ban.
Mr Mackin yesterday said his firm, Q4, was entitled to represent whatever companies or groups sought its services.
"Q4 is a public relations company with a wide range of clients. Among the services the company provides are public information campaigns, and it is in this context that the project has been undertaken," Mr Mackin said.
The public relations firm, founded last May, is representing the Irish Hospitality Industry Alliance, which claims 3,500 members, and is seeking changes to the Government's proposed smoking ban.
The newly-formed alliance claims the smoking ban will cost 65,000 jobs, and is seeking a compromise through measures such as increasing the size of no-smoking areas.
Q4, which has offices on St Stephen's Green, Dublin, specialises in corporate strategy, financial communications, investor relations, crisis management, media training and speech writing.
Eircom's former director of corporate and financial communications, Mr Gerry O'Sullivan, is also a member of the firm.
There is a long history of PR firms employing former advisers with knowledge of how the political system works.
Many of the firms sell their services on the basis of their lobbyists' access to the corridors of power in Government Buildings and Leinster House.
These links have occasionally proved controversial, such as last year when the lobbyist and former government press secretary, Mr P.J. Mara, quit as Fianna Fáil's director of election for the Nice referendum campaign.
This followed Mr Justice Flood's finding that Mr Mara failed to co-operate with the planning tribunal.
Among the politicians and advisers involved in the public relations industry are: former Fine Gael TD, Mr Alan Dukes, who works for Wilson Hartnell; Mr Stephen O'Byrnes, an adviser to the Progressive Democrats; and former Fine Gael adviser, Mr Bill O'Herlihy.
Some former advisers also spent brief periods as Senators, which provides them with a range of benefits including lifetime access and parking rights at Leinster House.
In response to the increase in the number of political lobbyists, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, is considering whether to regulate lobbyists and public relations consultants who provide clients with access to decision-makers in Government and the Civil Service.
This could result in a new register of lobbyists.
Tobacco ban risk to 65,000 jobs 'over the top': page 3