Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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574. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the communications, press and public relations budget allocated to his Department for 2018; the way in which it is being spent; if it is behind or ahead of profile; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39378/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Press and Communications Office of the Department liaises with the media on behalf of the Department and does not use the services of public relations firms.

The Department of Rural and Community Development allocate spend relating to communications and press to the Administration programme "Training and Development and Incidental Expenses" which has an overall budget of €539k which is behind profile. Within this programme costs relating to press are allocated to the Press Office subhead. Spend for the year to the end of August for the Press Office was €11,087. In addition a range of staff in the Department are engaged in communications as part of their normal duties.