Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform 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 advisors are retained on a permanent or [i]per diem[/i] basis; if such persons have had previous experience with Departments or subsidiary bodies; 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. [3786/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I can inform the Deputy that, while my Department has incurred expenditure in the area of public awareness associated with important issues of public policy under its aegis, I have not engaged any public relations firms or media advisers to provide me with such advice in a personal capacity since my appointment in June 2002. I understand that Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, applied part of his special secretarial allowance for research and communications purposes under a contract for services in accordance with SI 84 of 2005.