Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

No, those assessments are carried out by the line Departments. There are many public information notices and campaigns which are necessary to bring to the attention of citizens. They cover issues such as statutory requirements and matters of public importance in particular areas.

In July 2008 the Minister for Finance announced a 50% reduction in departmental consultancy expenditure. It should also be noted that in February 2009 he announced a further reduction across Departments of €25 million in expenditure on advertising, public relations and consultancies.

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