Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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127. To ask the Taoiseach the total photography costs per annum for his Department since coming to office, inclusive of costs incurred from the use of the ministerial allowance in tabular form; the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographer used; the breakdown of costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers with his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20313/16]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The total expenditure by my Department on photography from 9 March 2011 to 6 July 2016 is provided in the following table:

Photography costs in my Department have reduced by over 85% from €83,398 in 2008 to €9,820 in 2015.

The use of local photographers on international trade missions is required to distribute images to the domestic media to accompany the coverage of domestic journalists who are travelling on behalf of their organisations. Utilising local agencies is cost efficient and costs are kept to a minimum. Increasingly my Department utilises its own staff to take photographs in-house, thereby reducing costs.

In relation to the EU Presidency costs - as is standard for all Presidencies there is a host photographer to capture the images for the Presidency and to distribute them around the world.

The following table lists the occasions for which photographers were used and costs associated with each occasion:

Photography Costs from 9 March 2011 to 6 July 2016