A road traffic advertisement featuring a photograph of Minister of State for Transport Ivor Callely was defended by the Taoiseach yesterday.
Mr Callely appeared in a newspaper advertisement relating to Operation Freeflow, designed to improve traffic flow in Dublin during the Christmas period.
Bertie Ahern said that the Dublin Transportation Office had organised the advertisement.
"I am conscious that such issues should be restricted to the departments concerned so that unnecessary arguments do not arise. We must keep within the regulations that are in place. Last week's issue, as I understand it, was kept within those rules and regulations."
Mr Ahern was replying to Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, who asked if he had any intention of promulgating advertising regulations in respect of Ministers using public resources to promote themselves.
Mr Rabbitte also asked how many people Ministers of State Tom Kitt and Noel Treacy employed in their offices.
Mr Ahern said that to the best of his knowledge, they had four each. "The Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, has an adviser, but the number of constituency staff is four, and the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, has the same number."
Asked by Mr Rabbitte what their duties were during a general election, the Taoiseach said that while some changes were made following a Supreme Court case in 2002, he understood that members of the Oireachtas could retain their constituency office staff. "They can deal with constituency work, but cannot be involved in issues that are related to the election."
