Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason it is necessary for him to use taxpayers' moneys to employ a press adviser and run a separate press office in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11857/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The function of the press office in my Department is to provide a press service to the Minister and the Department and to provide an effective channel of communication with the media. The role of the staff in the press office is to carry out these functions.

There are three staff in the Department's press office. The three departmental officers assigned to the press office include the press officer, who is a higher executive officer, the deputy press officer, who is an executive officer, and one clerical officer, who is in charge of administration.

I have appointed on a contract basis for my term of office a press adviser with effect from 30 September 2004. The press adviser and the press office consult and communicate regularly and do not operate separately. The appointment of a press adviser is to augment and supplement the existing resources in view of the wide range of services and day-to-day issues that constantly attract the attention of the media — press, radio, television, journals and magazines — at regional, national and international level.

As my Department is responsible for the allocation of more than €12 billion of Exchequer funding annually and the dispersal on a weekly basis of more than 970,000 individual welfare benefits and supports, the level of media interest is, naturally, considerable. The press adviser and members of the press office are available to accept and respond to media requests at all times of the day.

The appointment of a press adviser underlines the importance I attach to the communicating in an accurate, easily understandable and effective manner to the media and the public in general the work of my Department and the impact it is having on the lives of those who are welfare recipients. Considering that more than 1.5 million men, women and children benefit from the weekly payments from my Department and a further 1 million from the monthly child benefit payments, the level of media interest is constant and it is only proper and appropriate that there is a professional press information service available at all times that responds adequately and accurately to all queries. A well structured and always accessible press and information service is of considerable importance as a way of keeping the public, in particular welfare customers and potential welfare customers, aware of the entitlements available and of any evolving changes and alterations in social welfare policy.