Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number, cost and status of all public relations consultancies, contracts or procurements entered into by or on behalf of his 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. [5507/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In 2002, my Department's press office engaged the services of Carr Communications for a short period to advise on public relations strategy. The contract was for the period March — April 2002 and the cost was €6,534. There are five agencies under the aegis of my Department and the details requested in respect of these are as follows. The Combat Poverty Agency engaged Bill O'Herlihy Communications in a media consultancy role, starting in 2002 and completed at the end of 2004, following a public tender process. The terms of reference for this work specified that the contract period was for a maximum of three years, subject to annual review. Departmental approval was received for this contract and spend. The company reported to the head of information and public education, whose section is responsible for the management of the overall media relations function. Expenditure on this contract was as follows: 2002: €36,322.54; 2003: €47,937.49; 2004: €44,265.12.

Comhairle entered into two consultancy contracts in the past three years as follows. A PR consultancy contract was awarded via a formal tendering process, to Bill O'Herlihy Communications Group in January 2000 and completed in January 2003. The cost was €29,331 per annum. The terms of reference were for a three year consultancy arrangement for the provision of public relations services, including media monitoring and evaluation, routine reactive and proactive liaison with national and local media, ongoing PR counselling and strategy on issues and events, and advice on communications and publications.

The second contract was a fixed-term consultancy contract, again awarded via a formal tendering process, to Setanta Communications Limited in April 2003 and completed in March 2004. The cost was €26,765. The terms of reference were for a fixed term, one year, consultancy arrangement for the provision of professional services to Comhairle to undertake the development of an integrated public relations, promotions and communications strategy, aimed at promoting the availability and delivery of information services to the public that are delivered through the range of channels supported by Comhairle; and developing the profile of citizens' information centres. The consultants reported to and received instructions from the Comhairle manager of finance and PR promotions.

The Family Support Agency engaged a company on a once-off basis to handle public relations for a conference in October 2004. The company was O'Herlihy Communications and the cost amounted to €5,046.95. The company reported to and received instructions from the chief executive officer of the Family Support Agency. The Pensions Ombudsman's Office has not entered into any public relations consultancies, contracts or procurements.

Financial Dynamics provided a full range of public relations services for the Pensions Board on a retainer based contract with a value of €55,176 inclusive of VAT for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004. The company provided a full range of public relations services for the national pensions awareness campaign, conducted by the board on behalf of the Government, on a retainer based contract with a value of €36,784 inclusive of VAT for an eight month contract in 2003 and €55,176 inclusive of VAT for a 12 month contract in 2004.

There are a range of services required from the agency to support the board's management team and, in particular, its information and training unit which include devising an annual public relations strategy and a plan for implementation of this strategy; agreeing an annual communications programme for the board; provision of input and advice on communications strategies planned by the board in relation to the delivery of the national pensions awareness campaign, or NPAC, provision of dedicated media contacts and access to same. The consultants consult and liaise with the board's communications team reporting to the chief executive officer of the board.

The Pensions Board 2005 public relations services contract incorporating the NPAC requirements has recently been awarded to Q4 Public Relations following an open tender public procurement process. This contract commences on 19 February 2005. I have no knowledge of any other public relations contracts entered into by my Government colleagues with the companies concerned.