Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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275. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department has applied for permission to engage outside public relations companies for the purposes of disseminating Government policy; the cost of each contract entered into; the name of the contractors; the duration of the contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31673/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Since January 2015 to the present date, my Department has not used any external public relation firms for the purposes of disseminating government policy. My Departmental remit includes complex policy areas, oversight of State regulation and service provision across key strategic services such as energy and public broadcasting, and regulation of sectors such as mining and hydrocarbon exploration. Given the technical complexity, economic significance and community interest in these areas, there is a requirement to disseminate information and address specific issues as they arise. The Department, may, therefore, incur some expenditure on public relations from time to time. In procuring these services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and to keep expenditure to the minimum necessary.