Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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194. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of parliamentary questions his Department has processed in the past three years to date; the number of questions answered directly; the number of questions referred to bodies or agencies under the aegis of his Department for direct reply; the number of staff who are assigned to his parliamentary questions section; and if non-departmental staff, advisers and-or public affairs and relations companies have composed parliamentary question replies or had an act or hand in forming parliamentary question replies in the timeframe specified. [52233/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has processed the following number of PQs in 2016, 2017 and up to end November 2018:

Two members of staff in my Private Office are responsible for assigning and processing Parliamentary Questions. Parliamentary Questions are assigned to the particular Division(s) of my Department dealing with the subject matter(s) and replies are prepared as part of the normal work of that Division. The number and level of staff and the time spent on preparing an individual answer depends on the complexity of the issue raised, the form in which the information exists and is requested, and whether an oral or written reply is required. 

Replies to Parliamentary Questions are submitted by the Secretary General's office to my office for final approval. No public affairs or public relations companies have composed Parliamentary Question replies or had an act or hand in forming Parliamentary Question replies on my behalf.

In relation to the number of questions referred to bodies or agencies under the aegis of my Department for direct reply, there is no central register held recording the number of questions referred for direct reply. My Department requests that Parliamentary Questions referred to State Bodies should be responded to directly to the Deputy within 10 working days.