Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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921. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide, in tabular form, by year, the total photography costs for her Department since coming into office, inclusive of the costs incurred from the use of the ministerial allowance; if she will provide the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion a photographer was used; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23414/15]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Since my appointment in July 2014 total photography costs for my Department in 2014 were €1,168 and €2,571.44 spent to date in 2015. No costs were incurred from use of the Ministerial allowance. The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy.

The hiring of photographers for Ministerial or Departmental events is dependent on a number of factors, including the nature of the engagement, the expected level of media interest and the national/regional scope of the subject. At all times, value for money is a critical consideration in the context of the booking of photographers.