Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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65. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total external public relation costs incurred by her Department in 2011, 2012, 2013 and estimated in 2014. [49387/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There were no costs incurred by my Department in respect of public relations for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014. 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.

The total 2014 estimate for the Department for external public relations/communications is €3,150.

The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. There were no costs incurred by these agencies for external public relations in 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014.