Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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Question 616: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality, further to Parliamentary Question No. 246 of 14 July 2011, the position regarding same. [22871/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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In Parliamentary Question No. 246 of 14 July 2011, the Deputy asked "... the total cost of hiring external public relations companies by his Department over the past decade ...". I refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question, as follows:

I wish to inform the Deputy that the information requested is not readily available. Given the period of time concerned and the fact that my Department neither classifies nor records companies by type, for example, public relations, the information requested could only be compiled by the use of a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort.

The reply clearly sets out why the information sought by the Deputy cannot be provided in this instance. I wish to inform the Deputy that this position remains unchanged.