BOOK RETAILER Eason has awarded its consumer PR contract to WHPR while FD has retained the corporate side. Boots has moved from WHPR to Fleishman Hillard while Mars Ireland is out to pitch, with Fleishman, Edelman and WHPR thought to be in the running. Financial services group Fexco is also out to pitch. Fexco earlier this year acquired Goodbody Stockbrokers, which is represented by Q4.

Interesting to note that while Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar is preparing to cut off public subsidies to certain regional airports, he continues to provide support to the loss-making Cork-Swansea ferry, which was relaunched in 2010 by Fastnet Line.

In a speech to the Seanad on June 1st, Varadkar said he had given Cork Port “permission to invest further” in the ferry service – thought to be about €250,000. It has already received substantial financial support from councils in Cork and Kerry and €1 million from Enterprise Ireland.

The service has drawn passengers off routes from Rosslare, much to the chagrin of operators from there.

Last week, Phil Jones became the second chief executive to disembark Fastnet Line since its launch.