Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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52. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the use of external public relations firms employed by her Department since she came to office; the list of uses of the external public relations firm; internal Department policy with regard to employing external groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49162/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In line with Department of Social Protection policy, the press office deals with all media queries and public relations matters. It is the Department’s policy to use in-house resources as much as possible and to restrict the use of external firms to a minimum.

During the period referred to by the Deputy, the Department has used the services of one external public relations firm for training purposes, details of which are outlined in the following table.