Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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179. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if Caranua has a contract with a company (details supplied); if he signed off on this; the value of this contract; if Caranua have ever procured services from this body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20084/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I understand from Caranua that it retained Athena Media following a process of tendering and approval by the Board to provide communications advice and to develop and implement a communications strategy for the organisation, particularly in relation to public awareness raising about the application process, including distribution of posters and leaflets, development of material for media release to local and national Irish, British and international print and broadcast media, management of media contacts and arrangement of interviews and content for its website. I am advised that the total payment to Athena between October 2013 and March 2014 was €15,375.00 inclusive of VAT.

As I explained to the Deputy in my reply to a Parliamentary Question from him on 4 March 2014, my Department is currently considering the approval of a number of consultancies and contracts by Caranua pursuant to section 7(7) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act, 2012 and the details will be forwarded to the Deputy once my Department has finalised its consideration of the matter.