Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide full details, shown separately for the National Asset Management Agency and the National Treasury Management Agency, of all professional fees, including the identity of the service provider, incurred in the provision of public relations, media and communications services in 2011 and to date in 2012. [41024/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by NAMA that it, operating under the aegis of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), draws on the NTMA’s shared services in a number of areas including its outsourced press office facility. The NTMA does not maintain an internal press office. Instead, its internal communications resources are supported by an external service provider (appointed following a public procurement process) - currently Gordon MRM - in order to offer a full press office and communications service (including out-of-hours contacts for the media) across all the NTMA’s business areas: Debt Management, NAMA, NPRF, NDFA, SCA, NewERA and during 2010 and 2011 the Banking Unit.

These arrangements were put in place during 2010 in light of a significant increase in the volume of domestic and international media queries being received by the NTMA and associated bodies.

That contract is now coming to an end and the NTMA is retendering the contract in accordance with public procurement procedures.

In view of the tender process, I do not propose to publish details of the costs of the outsourced press office function at the current time. I will have this information forwarded to the Deputy following the closing date for receipt of tenders - 15 October.

In the light of the sovereign debt crisis the NTMA also engaged Powerscourt - a London based communications consultancy - for international communications initiatives in the funding and debt management area. Total costs of e74,395 (ex VAT) were incurred in 2011. No costs have been incurred in 2012.