Departmental Expenditure.
11. Mr. Gormley 
asked the + the annual figures for moneys paid to a person and+ [14384/06]
The Taoiseach: When I am due to speak in Dáil Éireann or I am about to be +
Mr. Gormley: It seems from figures I have seen previously that the Taoiseach is spending +
Mr. Cuffe: He is looking well on it.
Mr. Durkan: It is disgraceful.
Mr. Gormley: How does the Taoiseach expect taxpayers, many of whom are lying on trolleys, to +
Mr. Durkan: In Fagan’s.
Mr. Gormley: Given that this year is the 80th anniversary of the founding of Fianna +
Mr. Gogarty: He used mascara.
Mr. Gormley: ——would say about a Taoiseach who spends hundreds of euro on make- +
An Ceann Comhairle: That question does not arise from Question No. 11.
Mr. Kehoe: He would tell him to use Vichy.
Mr. Gormley: Does the Taoiseach agree that we could now call him the L’Oréal +
Ms Hanafin: He is worth it.
Mr. Kitt: Deputy Gormley could do with some make-up.
The Taoiseach: When Deputy Gormley is Taoiseach some day——
Mr. Gormley: I thank the Taoiseach for his confidence.
The Taoiseach: ——he will find that the services of two people who are paid on a +
Mr. Stagg: Is that why the Taoiseach will not come in on Thursdays?
The Taoiseach: If I came in on Thursdays, we would have to pay for three days.
Mr. Durkan: He cannot come into the House unless he is wearing make-up.
The Taoiseach: It would be even more expensive then.
Mr. Stagg: We will pay for it if the Taoiseach agrees to come in.
The Taoiseach: They are paid the SIPTU rate for the job they do.
Mr. Rabbitte: We will pass around a hat if the Taoiseach comes in.
The Taoiseach: I do not think these people should be fired to satisfy Deputy Gormley.
Mr. Gogarty: They could work in the health service.
The Taoiseach: They provide a service and they do their job.
Mr. Stagg: We could decentralise them.
The Taoiseach: They are paid the SIPTU rate. I avail of the same services as everyone else who +
Mr. Gogarty: One has to go there whether one likes it or not.
The Taoiseach: It is not a question of “whether one likes it or not”. Deputy +
Mr. Carty: It does not make a difference.
The Taoiseach: He has never been known not to do so in advance of any of his many television +
Mr. Gormley: How does the Taoiseach know all this?
The Taoiseach: I know because I checked.
Mr. Durkan: He must be the fly on the wall in RTE.
Mr. Gormley: I must say the Taoiseach has done some extraordinary research on my habits.
Mr. Cuffe: He is engaging in a security offensive.
Mr. Gormley: Would it be too much trouble for the Taoiseach to apply his make-up himself?
Mr. Durkan: We could not have that.
Mr. Gormley: Does he need all of these people?
An Ceann Comhairle: That does not arise.
Mr. Durkan: We could not expect him to do that.
Mr. Gormley: What is the story here?
An Ceann Comhairle: That is a frivolous question.
Mr. Gormley: Can the Taoiseach give us a breakdown of how much it costs per week? I have +
An Ceann Comhairle: It is a long-standing rule that a supplementary question is not in order if the +
Mr. Durkan: Can we have an estimate of the price per gallon?
Mr. Gormley: I know this is embarrassing for the Taoiseach.
The Taoiseach: Not one bit.
An Ceann Comhairle: I have allowed Deputy Gormley a fair amount of latitude.
Mr. Gormley: To spend €480 a week on make-up is extraordinary at a time when there are +
An Ceann Comhairle: You have made your point.
Mr. Gormley: It amounts to nothing more than decadence.
Mr. Durkan: The Romans were like that too.