Written answers
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Department of Foreign Affairs
Consultancy Contracts
9:00 pm
Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 399: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number, cost and name of any media consultants employed by his Department; the cost of such advice for each year since 1997 to date in 2007; the nature of the work done; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33555/07]
Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes- Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Co-operation). The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables covering both Votes for the period from 31 December 1997 to date. I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on consultancy expenditure. The Department engages media consultants only where there is a very specific need for this expertise and it cannot be provided from the Department's own resources. Under Vote 28 the consultancies in question arose in very specific circumstances where the Department was required to carry out information and awareness-raising campaigns relating to EU matters. The media consultancy undertaken under Vote 29 plays an important role in promoting public awareness and understanding of the work of the expanding Irish Aid programme.
| VOTE 28 | |||
| Year | Name of Consultant | Nature of Work Done | Cost |
| € | |||
| 1998 | Drury Communications | Provision of information to the electorate in relation to the referendum on the Amsterdam Treaty (engaged under the terms of the Referendum Act 1998) | 2,606,003 |
| 2002 | Drury Communications | To advise on a comprehensive communications strategy aimed at improving the transmission of information about the EU to the Irish public | 62,999 |
| VOTE 29 | |||
| Year | Name of Consultant | Nature of Work Done | Cost |
| € | |||
| 2005 | Ms Brid McGrath | Assistant Communications Officer: To assist in the distribution of information to the public on the work of the Irish Aid Programme. | 11,776 |
| 2006 | Ms Brid McGrath | Assistant Communications Officer: To assist in the distribution of information to the public on the work of the Irish Aid Programme. | 41,024 |
| 2006 | Drury Communications | Planning and design of a public information and communications strategy for Irish Aid | 49,131 |
| 2007 | Ms Brid McGrath | Assistant Communications Officer: To assist in the distribution of information to the public on the work of the Irish Aid Programme. | 24,640 |
| 2007 | Bannon & Bannon | To deal with media matters relating to the Hunger Task Force and to promote its work. | 2,262 |
| 2007 | Mr Danny Rowan | Temporary Communications Specialist: To assist in the distribution of information to the public on the Irish Aid Programme. | 36,493 |
| 2007 | Ms Daire Higgins | Provision of public relations and outreach consultancy services for the Irish Aid Centre | 19,800 |
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