Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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765. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the photography costs for her Department in each year since March 2011 inclusive of costs incurred from use of the ministerial allowance; the list of occasions for which photographers were booked; the photographers used; the costs associated with each occasion that a photographer was used, in tabular form; if there is a policy regarding the booking of photographers within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54224/17]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The information requested is set out in the table below and covers the period from 2 June 2011 which was the establishment date for the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

No costs were incurred from use of the Ministerial allowance.

The hiring of photographers for Ministerial or Departmental events is dependent on a number of factors, including the nature of the engagement, the expected level of media interest and the national/regional scope of the subject. Certain costs included relate to the photographic documentation of important heritage sites, a key function of my Department, rather than to specific occasions.At all times, value for money is a critical consideration in the context of the booking of photographers.

2011 Total: €1,055

2012 Total: €3,606

2013 Total: €3,944

2014 Total: €4,016

2015 Total: €15,489

2016 Total: €9,819

2017 Total: €11,476