Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

449. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his Department's photography costs since he came into office, inclusive of costs incurred from use of the ministerial allowance, by year in tabular form; the occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the costs associated with each occasion; the policy in place regarding the booking of photographers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43632/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department only avails of the services of external photographic agencies where it is warranted, in particular for major events and State occasions. This is a service which my Department provides so that media can easily and freely avail of photography where their own staff photographers cannot be fully accommodated. Examples of such events this year included the visit in May of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, the hosting of the first Global Irish Civic Forum in June and the official launch in October of the Passport Card. In addition, the use of photography services by overseas missions for significant promotional events resulted in positive global coverage of Ireland.In September 2011, my Department led a collaborative advertised tender process for the procurement of a multi-supplier competitive framework of photographic service providers. This is now available for use by all Government Departments. Details of the framework arrangements and the photographers used are posted on the National Procurement Service website: . The purpose of this framework is to ensure Departments' compliance with EU procurement rules and to ensure value for money by having a competitive process for photographic assignments.

In addition, my Department now makes greater use of in-house resources for photography, including, for example, at last month's launch in Iveagh House of the National Report on Global Education in Ireland.

Total expenditure from my entry into office in July 2014 to date is €50,054.65, as detailed in the following table form: