Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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268. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the photography costs for his 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 his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54232/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I wish to refer the Deputy to the previous Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 13 December 2016 (39474/16), which provides details of photography costs incurred by my Department from 2011 – 2016.

Details of photography costs for my Department in 2017 are as follows:

I can inform the Deputy that external photographic services are only occasionally used by my Department, to mark and provide a record of significant occasions - in-house communications staff are used on most occasions. Consideration is given at all times to the costs involved and best value for money is always a priority when sourcing such services.

The Deputy may wish to note that questions concerning Ministerial allowances are solely a matter for the Oireachtas.