Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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155. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the total photography costs per annum for his Department since coming to office inclusive of costs incurred from use of the ministerial allowance in tabular form; the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20382/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Photography services are used, in conjunction with some press releases and conferences, to communicate my Department’s initiatives, schemes and services to customers and to the regional and national media. In 2015 photography services were used for the occasions as set out in the following table.

The procurement of these photography services is carried out in accordance with national and EU procurement procedures and since March 2012, my Department has been procuring photography services under the Framework Agreement established by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in February 2012.

Full details of the Framework are available online via the National Procurement Services contract list at www.procurement.ie.

None of the costs incurred are from the use of the Ministerial Allowance.