Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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269. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount paid to a company (details supplied) from 1 January 2014 to 25 September 2018 for public relations advice, briefing notes and speech writing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39627/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not incurred any costs in relation to the provision of briefing notes or speech-writing from the company mentioned since January 2014. The following table details spend incurred in respect of communications advice with the company mentioned since 2014.

A further €1,718 was paid to that company in respect of training courses for Departmental staff over the period in question, while the company was also paid €1,374 in respect of consultancy and facilitation services for a meeting with the deaf community in February 2015.

In relation to the services referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy, I understand those costs were met through the Oireachtas Special Secretarial Allowance.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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270. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount spent by his Department on third party public relations advice, communications advice, online advertising and public awareness campaigns to date in 2018, by month and company engaged in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39643/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The following table details relevant expenditure in my Department since January 2018. The work contracted has allowed valuable public attention to be drawn to important issues such as human trafficking, domestic violence and the work of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland: