Diarmuid O'Hegarty to Director of Publicity¹

A Chara, At the meeting of the Ministry in Dublin held on the 18th inst. the following decision was arrived at :

Publicity:

(a) Re-Organisation: In order to render the work of the Publicity Department more effective it was decided that the Department should be re-organised on the following lines:-

1. Separate branches or sub-departments to be created to deal with
   1. Film work,
   2. Foreign Press,
   3. Irish Press,
   4. Pamphlets and Publications
2. The Director of Publicity to be relieved of all routine work and to act in the capacity of general director and supervisor of the work of the whole Department.

(b) Weekly Gazette: The Director of Publicity to be instructed to prepare and submit an estimate for the publication of a Weekly Gazette. The Gazette, which is designed for official guidance as well as for public instruction, to publish an account of the activities of the various Departments of DAIL EIREANN, public sessions of An Dail, Departmental Reports etc., and in general to show how active the Republican Government really is, as well as keeping the various Departments informed of each others work. Each Department, as portion of its necessary routine, to prepare news or other matter suitable for publication weekly. All matter for publication to be censored by the Secretary to the Cabinet.

This decision, in accordance with the usual practice, was notified here, and the Members of the Cabinet here submitted the following memorandum on the subject:

Publicity

(a) Re-Organisation : The Members here feel that they cannot express a final opinion on the re-organisation proposals as outlined, as they are rather nebulous in certain details. One of the most important considerations in connection with these proposals is their estimated cost, and it is felt that this matter should be carefully gone into by the Publicity Minister in conjunction with the Finance Department before any definite decision is arrived at.
The Members here dislike the multiplication of branches and sub-departments if this can be avoided as militating against economy. They are opposed to the proposal for starting a film work Department, as they do not think the results would justify the outlay. They object strongly to the apparent suggestion that the Foreign Press should be dealt with directly by some one other than the Director of Publicity, whose main and most important work this is. The Minister for Foreign Affairs lays particular stress on this point.
(b) Weekly Gazette: The Members here think that it would not be possible to issue a weekly Gazette on the lines indicated. They agree, however, that a monthly Gazette would be practicable.

I have this morning received a note from the Acting-Secretary to the Ministry to the effect that in connection with the proposed re-organisation the President is of the opinion that the Minister for Finance and the Minister of Publicity should go into all the details of the matter together, it being his opinion that the Department is neither sufficiently staffed nor organised at present to deal in an effective manner with the work of publicity.

As soon as your Department has completed your proposals for re-organisation and has prepared an estimate of the cost, the Minister for Finance will go into the question with you.

The Acting-Secretary to the Ministry also forwarded me copy of a memorandum from your Department regarding the issue of the Official Gazette. I understand that you have already seen a copy of this memorandum.