Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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782. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide, in tabular form, by year, the use of external public relations firms employed by his Department since coming into office; if he will provide the list of uses of the external public relations firm, and the internal Department policy with regard to employing external groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23435/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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My Department has not engaged any external public relations firms since my coming into office. 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.