Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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924. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the use of external public relations firms employed by his Department per annum in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014; a list of uses of the external public relations firm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1451/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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No public relations firms were engaged by my Department for the years 2012, 2013 or 2014. As part of the promotion of a sponsorship campaign for the Tidy Towns competition, Pembroke Communications was engaged in 2011.

In relation to my Department’s policy for the engagement of external expertise, this is generally only considered where the issues involved require expert skills or capabilities that are not readily available within my Department.