Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Finance the number, cost and status of all public relations consultancies, contracts or procurements entered into by or on behalf of her Department or its agents or agencies in the past three years; the terms of reference in each such appointment; the person to whom such persons report and from whom they receive instructions; if any such person or group had any previous contracts, commitments or employment with either of the Government parties. [5502/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The following is the information sought by the Deputy regarding my Department and public bodies funded from its Vote.

My Department did not award contracts solely for public relations projects in the period mentioned by the Deputy. It did, however, award two contracts in the period which, while mainly for other purposes, involved a public relations element. The details of those two contracts are as follows.

Q4 was engaged by my Department to provide project and event management advice and media support regarding the informal meeting of the Council of Economics and Finance Ministers of the EU in County Kildare on 2 to 4 April 2004 during the Irish Presidency of the EU. It is estimated that some €23,700 of the total cost of that contract related to the public relations aspect, that is, support in dealing with the national and international media attending the event. The contract has now concluded.

In respect of the public relations element of the contract, Q4 reported to and took instruction from the press officer of my Department.

Documentation supplied by Q4 to my Department indicated that a partner in Q4 who led the consultancy was formerly employed as general secretary of the Fianna Fáil Party. The documentation also indicated that Q4 has had a wide range of consultancy contracts in both the private and public sectors. The documentation did not indicate whether Q4 may have had any previous contracts, commitments or employment with either of the Government parties.

The second contract is a contract for general marketing of the E-tenders website, which includes advertising and public relations. It is with a consortium comprising The Media Group, Ogilvy & Mather and Elucidate. The contract was signed in October 2004 for a period of one year, and the estimated cost of the public relations element in it is €38,500. It is renewable for up to one further year.

The consortium reports to the principal officer of the national public procurement policy unit of my Department.

Documentation held by my Department concerning that contract does not indicate any previous contracts, commitments or employment with either of the Government parties by the consortium or its component parts.

Apart from those two contracts placed by my Department, two others are relevant to the Deputy's question. The NDP-CSF information unit — which operates under the aegis of my Department and is part-funded by the EU — awarded one public relations contract in the period since 1 January 2002. The objective of the contract is to raise awareness and increase understanding of the national development plan and the Community Support Framework 2000-2006, as there is a legal requirement on member states to raise public awareness of the role of the EU structural funds. The contract was awarded to Curtin Communications, now known as Grayling Communications, in August 2003 to cover the period from September 2003 to September 2005. The value of the contract was €306,000.

The contract is managed by the NDP-CSF information officer, to whom the contractors report.

Documentation held by my Department concerning that contract does not indicate any previous contracts, commitments or employment with either of the Government parties by Curtin Communications.

All the officials to whom the contractors in the three contracts above report or reported are or were governed by the rules regarding civil servants and their involvement in politics.

Finally, the Special EU Programmes Body, or SEUPB, awarded one public relations contract in the period mentioned by the Deputy. The SEUPB is one of six North-South implementation bodies set up under Strand II of the Good Friday Agreement and manages the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, or PEACE II, and the Ireland-Northern Ireland INTERREG IIIA programme. Both of those programmes are funded with EU and national funding in both jurisdictions. The contract was awarded in March 2004 to Morrow Communications and is for public relations relating to the two programmes. There is an EU requirement on structural fund programmes to raise public awareness of the role of the EU in those programmes. The value of the contract is €115,000 and is for a period of one year. The contract is renewable for up to one further year.

Morrow Communications reports to the corporate services director of the SEUPB. Documentation held by my Department and the SEUPB does not indicate that either the corporate services director of the SEUPB or Morrow Communications has had any previous contracts, commitments or employment with either of the Government parties.

I should say that I am assured that all contracts mentioned in this reply were placed in accordance with public procurement procedures.

While the Office of Public Works is not funded from my Department's Vote, my Department has asked that office to provide information in answer to this question direct to the Deputy.