Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of external reports and reviews commissioned by his Department in 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; if he will name each report and review; if he will outline the spending on external reports and reviews in each of those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42278/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The following is a list of the external reports and reviews commissioned by my Department in the years 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010;

EXTERNAL REPORTS/REVIEWS COMMISSIONED

2008

2009

2010 to date

*Please note that this amount was payment for the valuation of 47 properties and consisted of a report for each property/site (example of report attached). This most likely does not fall in the category of a consultancy. They provide a valuation services for Department owned properties and are paid per valuation.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the total capital spending allocated to his Department in 2010; the total allocated moneys spent; the allocated capital spending within his Department in 2010 for each project in tabular form; the amount allocated to each project; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42293/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The 2010 capital allocation for my Department together with expenditure to end October 2010 is as follows

January/October Budget 2010 Expenditure

Capital budget €431.479m. €346.216m.

comprising

Administrative Budget €4.191m. €1.118m.

Schemes and Programmes €427.288m. €345.098m.

The Department's capital budget is comprised of expenditure on a range of capital grant schemes and projects in the agriculture, food, forestry and fishing sectors, including schemes to promote on-farm investment. Funding for capital expenditure is also part of the annual Grants-in-aid to State bodies and the Department's administrative budget.

Due to the very large number of projects involved, it is not possible to provide the information requested on each individual project.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount spent by his Department on public relations and advertising in the years 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42306/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not employ external public relations companies and has not for the years in question. Public relations advice, where required is provided by my Department's Press Office. It is not possible to provide costs for this service, as the work is carried out as part of the standard duties of the staff involved.

Following the Government announcement of 8 July 2008 that required 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 my Department's advertising costs have reduced substantially, in line with this announcement.

The details sought by the Deputy in relation to the total spend on advertising in national and local print media, radio and television is set out below: