Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of staff time and the estimated cost, including staff time, associated with the production of ministerial newsletters since he became Minister; the grounds on which he believes this expenditure of taxpayers’ money is justified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53072/13]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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They say that time is money. No doubt it takes time to prepare the newsletters issued by the Department. This is taxpayers' money. I ask the Minister not to tell me it is impossible to quantify the precise cost of this exercise because the officials involved are also doing other related work. The Minister will appreciate that the private sector is able to value things like this every day of the week.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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While this is a valid question, I think it is a strange one. The Department issues newsletters on a reasonably regular basis to update farmers who want to get that information. They are sent out in as cost-effective a way as possible. This is essentially an online service.

Nobody in my Department is being paid anything extra for this and we are not bringing in any extra staff for it. People are doing it as part of their function within the Department to inform farmers as best we can about the changes in agrifood which are positive and encouraging. If we were not to publish e-newsletters for farmers to access, we would be rightly criticised for not using technology to its maximum effect. At the National Ploughing Championships last year and this year we asked farmers to sign up to the database on a voluntary basis in order that they could get this information, and thousands of them did so. There is interest from my clients, the farmers, in getting this information. They are getting it at no extra cost to the taxpayer. It provides good value for money and interesting reading for many farmers who want to understand what is happening in the Department.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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We all agree with the idea of informing the public. However, are these newsletters political propaganda or informing the public? I have a very simple, specific question. Two newsletters were put out in October. How many pictures of the Minister and the Minister of State appeared in the newsletters?

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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It must be upsetting the Deputy.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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How many pictures in total were in the two newsletters?

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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We will go back and count them for the Deputy.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have no idea. I trust my Department to put these newsletters together. It is my job to be the political face of Irish agriculture and I have no intention of shying away from that. It is my job to encourage, inspire and lead people in an ambitious new direction in terms of building an industry. That is working and it is working on the back of a plan that, to be fair, the previous Government prepared, namely, Food Harvest 2020, which we have built on and are implementing. It is nonsense to suggest I should shy away from that because it is somehow perceived as party political. I spend most weeks travelling the country talking farmers and encouraging them, and introducing new policy to help build the industry. We will continue to do that and I will continue to do that as long as I am in this position.

Part of any newsletter will give coverage to what we are doing. If the Deputy dismisses that as party politics, that is fine, but I do not see it as party politics. I see it as me doing my job as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Similarly, it is the job of the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, to represent and advocate for the sectors for which he is responsible. If we can do it at no additional cost to the Department and make it interesting to the many farmers who want to get this newsletter, that is a positive thing.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I will give the Minister the information. There were 11 pictures in the two newsletters, seven of which featured the Minister and four of which featured the Minister of State. That means 11 out of 11 featured one of the two Ministers. It would appear that the Minister's opinion is that nothing happens in the Department of interest that does not have the Ministers in it.

Has the Minister or his Department consulted the Standards in Public Office Commission about the appropriateness of this newsletter in its present form? At what level is the draft signed off in the Department before it is presented to the Minister?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I trust the corporate affairs division in my Department to put together a newsletter that is non-party political but unapologetically advocates for our sector and informs people of what we are doing. I am involved in practically everything the Department does that is new and is newsworthy. Of course I am because I am the head of the Department. I do not see why I should shy away from that or be apologetic for it.

This year has been an extraordinary year for agriculture. We have had to deal with a horsemeat crisis and a fodder crisis. We have designed and delivered a new Common Agricultural Policy and a new Common Fisheries Policy. We have had a great summer for grass growth. We have had strong pricing, particularly on the dairy side. Many positive things are happening. As I said earlier, exports this year will be close to €10 billion. Two and a half years ago that was considerably below €8 billion. Farmers want to know about that and they want to see that their political advocate for this growth and expansion plan is out there advocating for them. That is all I am doing in this newsletter

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister answer the question?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am confident there are no issues here.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I asked the Minister two very specific questions.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Let the Minister speak.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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If the Deputy wants to challenge that with SIPO, he is more than welcome to do so.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I asked the Minister if he asked SIPO.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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That concludes-----

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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My second question was the level in the Department the version the Minister signs off is at.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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We are out of time now.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister knows the procedure as well as I do.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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That concludes Question Time.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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By the way, I will pick up on the Minister's suggestion about SIPO.