Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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329. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, broken down 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 internal Department policy with regard to employing external groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23439/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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In the time available, it has not been possible for my officials to compile all of the information requested by the Deputy. Once the available information is collated, I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy.

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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330. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the total amount spent on external information technology consultants by his Department in each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23455/15]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Given the wide range of different technologies and systems used in supporting my Department’s ICT systems, it would not be efficient to support all of these technologies using internal resources, although internal resources are also used extensively in supporting ICT systems. For this reason, external ICT support is used to support a number of systems, and for developing new systems which deliver efficiencies or support new services to citizens. It should be noted that this work differs from the use of consultancy to prepare expert reports; the work here involves supporting ICT systems or building new ones. Records indicate that the amount spent by my Department on externally delivered software supports, systems development, website supports, helpdesk supports and other work by external IT experts in each of the years is as follows: