Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department makes the Irish national daily newspapers available on-line for staff within his Department; the number of staff at each grade who each day receive a copy of one Irish daily newspaper which is also available on-line; the number of staff who each day receive a copy of more than one newspaper which is also available on-line; the cost in 2005 of purchases of each printed daily newspaper in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16443/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Social and Family Affairs does not make any specific arrangements to provide access for staff to on-line newspapers. However, departmental staff who have internet access, like any member of the public, are able to log on to newspaper websites that do not require a paid subscription.

The Department engaged the services of a media monitoring company in 2005. This provides an electronic media monitoring service covering publications, including the Irish national daily newspapers, and issues of relevance to the Department. The publications monitored include all national daily and Sunday newspapers, all regional print media and relevant magazines and journals. The topic's regularly monitored include all welfare issues, policy issues, pensions, the elderly and a range of other topics. The press extracts from this service, which cost EUR8,971.18 in 2005, are available for all staff, and a full archive of all topics monitored can be accessed. Daily newspapers are received by a total of 17 people in the Department, six of whom receive more than one newspaper. Those who receive daily newspapers include the Secretary-General, the Director-General, the Department's Press Officer, my Press Adviser, my Special Adviser, my Personal Secretary, 10 Local Office Managers at Higher Executive Officer level and myself. The cost in 2005 was EUR15,989.52.

I am satisfied that supplying daily newspapers to the persons concerned is needed to ensure that key personnel in the Department are kept informed of relevant issues.