Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his expenditure on public relations, advertising, consultancies, conferences and away days in the period before and after the decision to halve expenditure on these activities; if he is satisfied that every effort is made to minimise expenditure that does not have a direct impact on the Department's key performance indicators. [47425/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Government announcement of 8 July 2008 required that all expenditure by Departments on consultancies, advertising and public relations would be significantly reduced for the remainder of that year and by at least 50% in 2009 compared with 2008. There was no expenditure on public relations in either 2008 or 2009. The expenditure on consultancies and advertising is set out in the table below. As a result of contracts in place which overlapped into 2009 it was not possible to reduce the expenditure on consultancies to 50% of the 2008 level. However, I am satisfied that every effort has been made to minimize expenditure on consultancies and advertising in the period in question.