A former Irish BBC journalist who is helping the Office of the Prime Minister with its communication strategy is being paid €25 an hour for his services over and above a €7,000-a-year retainer.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat gave the information in Parliament after he initially refused to give details on Leslie Skipper’s pay when the news was revealed by Times of Malta in October.

Following months of pressure through four parliamentary questions submitted by Nationalist MP David Agius, Dr Muscat finally revealed Mr Skipper’s contract.

Dr Muscat told Parliament he was given a contract of service by the Office of the Prime Minister to provide technical advice at the PM secretariat and other ministries and parliamentary secretariats.

Dr Muscat said that while Mr Skipper’s contract was capped at €37,170, he had already been paid a total of €31,073 for his services to the government.

At the same time, the Prime Minister is still refusing Mr Agius’s request to make the contract available or to give details on which other ministries Mr Skipper gave consultancy to and what areas and campaigns he has worked on.

Last year, when Mr Skipper’s association with the Prime Minister first became known, Dr Muscat had told Mr Agius in Parliament that Mr Skipper did not form part of his secretariat at Castille.

Times of Malta had revealed Mr Skipper’s name was listed in the internal government system as a “communications adviser” in the Prime Minister’s secretariat.

When asked to explain this, the PM’s spokesman had stood by Dr Muscat’s position.

Mr Skipper describes himself as “a speechwriter who provides the words to get people listening,” and has worked with the government since soon after last year’s election.

The government has always denied he gave his services to the party before it came to power.

Until a few months ago, Mr Skipper was listed as a media trainer with London-based PR and consultancy firm Templars. His main service consists of helping business leaders sound good and create a lasting impression.