It seems the public relations industry does not always practice what it preaches. Although those involved in corporate communications are often found advising client companies to be open and transparent, Ireland's public relations practitioners are loathe to part with information on how much they are raking in from those same clients.

Unlike Britain and the US, or indeed the Irish advertising business, where league tables of the top performers in the industry are readily available, the Irish PR industry remains shrouded in secrecy.

Of the leading Irish firms, only Wilson Hartnell Public Relations and Fleishman-Hillard Saunders both companies with links to large, international publicly-quoted firms were prepared to disclose their fee income. When asked for details of their income by The Margin, the rest remained mum.