Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of occasions on which he has sought advice from public relations consultancy firms or individuals, media advisers or other non-established civil servants in the past three years; if such advisers are retained on a permanent or [i]per diem[/i] basis or otherwise; if such persons have had previous experience with Departments or subsidiarybodies; the rate and basis of remuneration in each case; the departmental headings from which payments were made; the extent to which payments were made under the heading miscellaneous; if reference will be made to same in the case of each Minister of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3784/06]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The services of the media adviser attached to my Department's press office are available to myself and my Minister of State. The media adviser has been retained on a temporary full time contract with my Department since it was established in June 2002. Previously this adviser worked as a media adviser with the then Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. The rate of pay is that sanctioned by the Department of Finance and is based on the standard principal officer scale in the Civil Service, currently €76,162 to €88,556. Salary payments are paid from my Department's administrative budget — A1 subhead.

Neither my Minister of State nor myself have sought advice from public relations consultancy firms or other individuals in the past three years.