Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 523: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number, rank and pay of all civil servants in his Department and Ministerial staff, personally appointed by him 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [33513/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number and name of newspapers purchased by his Department daily and weekly; the number provided to himself and to the Minister of State's office; the yearly cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33528/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 525: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of press officers and press advisers in his 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 he will make a statement on the matter. [33543/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 526: To ask the Minister for Social and Family 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. [33558/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of press advisers employed by his Department; the cost of such advice for each year since 1997 to date in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33573/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 529: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost to his Department of photographers used by all Ministers in his Department on a yearly basis for each year since 1997 to date in 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33603/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 532: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department receives a daily summary of stories relevant to his Department from Government Information Services; if this summary is in written, verbal or electronic format; if these are furnished to a departmental press officer or press adviser; and if the press officer or adviser furnishes this information to him every day or how often it is furnished. [33648/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 533: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a press advisor travels with him on official visits; and if there were official visits attended by him in the past year at whcih a press adviser was not present or was not in contact with him. [33663/07]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department carries news summaries on its internal web; the persons who have access to such information; the way they access same; the person who compiles same; the cost of same; the regularity with which this information is updated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33723/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos: 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 529, 532, 533, and 536 together.

There are four civil servants in my Department's Press Office. The Press Officer is a Higher Executive Officer on a pay scale of €44,314 to €56,250. There are two Deputy Press Officers at Executive Officer grade. One of these is on a pay scale of €29,093 to €46,167 and the other is on a pay scale of €30,628 to €48,594 (Class A rate of PRSI contribution applies as this person commenced employment after 6 April 1995). The fourth member of staff on a pay scale of €22,058 to €35,773. The role of the Press Office staff is to provide an effective channel of communication between myself, my Department and the media.

There is one Press Adviser in my Department on a Principal Officer scale of €82,016 to €95,363. The duties carried out by the Press Adviser, who has been appointed on a contract basis for my term of office, are as set out in Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, that is, to assist the Minister by providing advice, on a wide range of issues, by monitoring, facilitating and securing the achievement of Government objectives that relate to my Department and by performing such other functions as may be directed by me. It is normal practice for the Press Adviser to accompany me on all official engagements.

Prior to July 2002 there were no Press Advisers employed in my Department. The Press Adviser appointed in July 2002 was on a Principal Officer scale of €59,384 to €69,051 together with a private pension contribution of 11% of salary. In September 2004, a new Press Adviser was appointed to my Department was on a Principal Officer Higher scale of €75,955 to €88,040. In February 2006, a personal salary rate of €101,037 was sanctioned in respect of the Press Adviser. The person in question was also entitled to a private pension contribution of 11% of salary. These scales and rates attracted increases as provided for under the various national wage agreements.

My Department has engaged the services of a media monitoring company since 2005. This company provides an electronic media monitoring service covering publications of relevance to my Department, including the Irish national daily and Sunday newspapers. The press clippings from this service, which have cost €21,280.00 to date in 2007, are available to all departmental staff and are updated daily by the media monitoring company engaged by my Department.

In addition, the Press Adviser and Press Office staff receive a summary of news headlines from the Government Information Services, from Monday to Friday each week. These are received via email and text message and where relevant, I am made aware of issues that may impact on my Department.

Information in relation to the Department's use of Media Consultants is being compiled and will be made available to the Deputy as soon as it is available. The names of the daily newspapers purchased by my Department are listed in the table below. The cost to date in 2007 is €15,558.20.

Expenditure on photography by Ministers for Social and Family Affairs during the period 1997 to date in 2007 is listed below: