Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government 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 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. [3789/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has engaged consultancy assistance in relation to communications in seven cases in the period 2003 to 2005. In all but one case the contract was awarded on a fixed price basis. In one case where communications advice was part of a larger contract it was provided on a per diem rate. In all but one case the contractors had previous experience in working with Departments. Details are set out in the following table.