Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 245: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number, rank and pay of all civil servants in her Department and ministerial staff, personally appointed by her or otherwise, who are engaged in media monitoring; the nature of the work done; the persons who the information is circulated to or the people who have access to this information; the cost of this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33511/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 247: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of press officers and press advisers in her Department; the rank and pay of each; the description of work done; the persons to whom the information is circulated or made accessible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33541/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 247 together.

There are 5 Civil Servants assigned to the Department's Press Office as follows: 1 Higher Executive Officer; 2 Executive Officers; and 2 Clerical Officers. The associated annual pay cost for these civil servants is €346,489 (calculated on the mean of the scale). There is also one Special Advisor in my Department who acts as my Press Advisor, and has responsibility for media related activities. The annual salary of this Special Advisor/Press Advisor is € 116,487.

A press cutting service is provided to my Department, with cuttings received made available to staff on the Department's intranet. From time-to-time, officials may request transcripts of media interviews which may require follow up responses or contain new information and the services of two external media companies are used as required this purpose. Payments made to date this year for media monitoring amount to €85,135.

The main areas of work in my Department's Press Office involves the timely processing of, and response to, a large volume of media queries and requests for information on health issues from a wide range of media outlets. This includes broadcast and print media at both national and local level and specialist medical publications. The Press Office also makes necessary media and communications arrangements around health announcements and liaises with the Government Information Services, other Departments, and relevant health agencies in that regard. Press Office staff do not have any specific or significant role in media monitoring.