Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach Taoiseach if he will report on the recent work of the Committee in his Department that oversees the awarding of public relations contracts by Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30254/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach Taoiseach if the group established to oversee the awarding of public relations contracts by Ministers is still operating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32342/10]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach Taoiseach if he will report on the supervision by his Department of the awarding of public relations contracts by other Ministers, arising from the recommendations of the Quigley Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35871/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together.

The Quigley report, which was published in 2005, highlighted the need for special care in cases where a proposed consultancy comprises an element of direct service to a Minister or Minister of State, particularly in the public relations or communications area, and-or where a Minister or a Minister of State suggests the name of a person or enterprise as being suitable. Following publication of the Quigley report, additional guidelines to be followed in such cases were approved by the Government and are published on the Department's website. The guidelines were brought to the attention of all Secretaries General, who were asked to implement them and to bring them in future to the attention of all newly-appointed Ministers, and Ministers of State where relevant, in their Department or office.

There is no special committee in my Department to oversee the awarding of public relations contracts by Ministers. Any workload arising from the application of these additional guidelines is handled within existing resources in the Government secretariat.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The July 2008 statement by the Minister for Finance indicated that all expenditure by Departments and agencies on consultancies, advertising and public relations would be reduced for the remainder of that year and by at least 50% in 2009. I note from the Taoiseach's departmental Estimates that consultancies went up from just over €3,000 in 2009 to €70,000 in 2010. Given the Department of Finance's commitment to cut public relations and consultancies, what was the money used for this year?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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If the Deputy tables a question I will have the direct answer for him. The question put asked me to report on the recent work of a committee in the Department that oversees the awarding of public relations contracts. I am not aware of the issue that he refers to but we can check it out.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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There are three questions. The question from Deputy Gilmore refers to the supervision by the Taoiseach's Department of public relations contracts. Radio advertisements were placed last year by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government notifying the public about areas of special protection in coastal areas in Dublin. This cost the taxpayer €23,000. This was only one of several media campaigns as part of which the Minister's Department spent over €3 million in 2009 alone. Were these contracts of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government approved by the public relations contracts committee? Was there any evaluation of the value and impact of the campaigns? What evaluations were carried out by the public relations contracts committee following the public relations campaign?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As I indicated to the Deputy, that is not its role and there is no committee in existence which deals with that issue. This relates to the Quigley report which arose from the need to provide some extra guidelines for Ministers and their Ministers of State in respect of the public relations or communications area where a Minister or Minister of State might suggest the name of a person or enterprise as being suitable. This was the specific issue dealt with by that committee. Where a Department proposes to engage consultants, the fact would only be brought to my attention where there is an element of direct service to a Minister, especially in a public relations or communications area, and where the Minister has suggested the name of a person or enterprise as being suitable. If these criteria are not applicable, then there is no need for my approval or for referral to the Government secretariat.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Is there a public relations contracts committee in existence or is this a free-for-all? I understood there was a committee which dealt with contracts to be awarded to public relations companies by Ministers or their Departments. I made the point previously that the House has been vacated by Government for major announcements; they have taken place everywhere but here. There is a Government information service which could deal with all of these matters. Naturally, each Department wishes to play its part in putting its piece of the jigsaw in place. In view of the seriously constrained circumstances we are in now, is it proposed to review this and have a central Government information service carry out all of these things or will we continue with public relations committees and consultants for each Department? The situation to which I referred involving the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and special protection areas is important. Let us bear in mind that we have taken these to the ultimate limit in this country.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy, we are going off on a tangent.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Yes. In a case I heard about recently, a family that had returned from Boston could not fish because they could not get tonnage, could not cut turf because they were in an SAC area, could not build a house within sight of the sea, and could not graze sheep on the mountain because of SAC restrictions. What in the name of God are we at? Yet the Taoiseach is spending public money on promoting these things. Common sense has gone out the window.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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They should come to Dublin North Central. We will look after them.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware of the relevance of the last comment about the family. Everything we do must be in compliance with the law, whether it is planning law or any other type.

There has been a reduction of more than €25 million in expenditure on advertising, public relations and consultancies, as announced by the Minister for Finance in February 2009. There are public information campaigns about issues that must be brought to the attention of the public in the areas of health, the environment and so on. This is done by Departments and local authorities, and such campaigns serve a purpose.

There is no committee in existence to oversee public relations contracts and there never has been. Proposals which fall under the two criteria I mentioned in my reply are referred to the Government secretariat. Otherwise, matters must be dealt with under the reduced budgets of Departments themselves.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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How is it decided whether PR work will be undertaken by the Department or Government press office or will be contracted out, as is sometimes the case? The Taoiseach has indicated that any such examination is not undertaken by a committee. Can he be more specific about whether there is a designated person within the Government secretariat, his own Department or anywhere else who has responsibility for this? Is there any up-to-date reappraisal of the context in which work that is contracted out is approved? Has there been any re-examination of the parameters within which a project is acceptable, in the context of current economic difficulties? If there has not been a recent review of the criteria, will the Taoiseach undertake to have such a review?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Government Information Service has no role whatsoever in the procurement of PR consultants by Departments. It has its own role to fulfil. There are public information services available throughout Departments. Guidelines have been set out on consultancies and where there is a direct service to a Minister or a name is suggested by a Minister as being suitable, the proposal must be forwarded to the Government secretariat for approval. Expenditure in this area has been greatly reduced as part of the overall drive for efficiency and reductions in non-essential expenditure.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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The Taoiseach indicated in his reply that proposals are submitted to the Government secretariat for approval. To his knowledge, has that approval ever not been forthcoming?

With regard to the criteria mentioned by the Taoiseach, is he personally aware of the conditions that have been set under which contracted-out PR work is within the Government's guidelines? Has there been any re-examination of this? Is he happy that in all cases the decision to put work out to contract was the correct one?

Have concerns been expressed by any of the Department press offices or the Government press office about the continued contracting out of PR work?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware of any issues that arise that are not within the guidelines. Regarding departmental press offices and so forth, as the Deputy knows the technologies available today can be released by e-mail, through text messaging, paper press release, etc. It is necessary that Government be able to provide immediate up-to-date information with 24-hour media coverage involved. I understand that all of these issues are looked at within Departments in terms of available resources and there has been a significant reduction in all headings.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Did I hear the Taoiseach correctly say that the number of occasions when a Minister needed to use the procedure recommended in the Quigley report, whereby when a particular PR consultant is being recommended by the Minister himself or herself it needs to go to the Secretary General to the Government, was two since 2005?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Regarding the number of cases referred to the Government secretariat, eight cases that came within the guidelines have been processed. Since September 2008 I agreed to the appointment by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources of a consultant to conduct a facilitation exercise in connection with the consultation paper on next generation broadband. In 2007 one case was noted by my predecessor following consideration by the Secretary General to the Government regarding an invitation to tender for consultancy work by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I understand that the candidate concerned was not subsequently in the tender competition. There were two cases related to the appointment of an arts adviser at the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. My predecessor approved one of those appointments in 2005, following appropriate prior consideration by the Secretary General to the Government. On the resignation of the original post holder my predecessor approved the appointment of a successor to the post in 2006. The four other cases referred to the Secretary General to the Government were, on consideration by him, found not to fall within the scope of the guidelines and so did not require consideration or approval. These related to the appointment of IT and communications consultants.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Taoiseach stated that one related to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in 2008. One also related to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2007. Was that in the lifetime of the present Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am not sure, but I think so, yes.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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In respect of both of those appointments, what was unique about them that they required the appointment of an outside PR consultant? Why was the PR work concerned not considered to be a normal part of the press or PR work of the two respective Departments?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It was not in the PR area; it was consultancy in respect of technical work. There was not just PR work involved. It is referred up to us when there is an element of direct service to a Minister or where the Minister has suggested the name of a person or enterprise as being suitable. They are not all PR issues.