Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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627. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount spent by her Department on public relations advice and media advice since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged for this advice in tabular form. [22270/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department entered two contracts during the period in question to provide enhanced capacity, supporting necessary communications with a wide range of stakeholders on matters relating to school reopening and the Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades projects. It is common practice for Government Departments to engage external companies to support specific projects when required.

The Department engaged the services of McQuaid Media and Communications to provide communications services to the Department to support the Schools re-opening and Calculated Grades’ projects in September 2020. The total cost was €6,000.

The Department also engaged the services of the Communications Clinic to provide communications services to the Department from September 24 2020 to October 3 2020 to support the Calculated Grades’ projects. The total cost was €19,481.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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628. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount spent by her Department on advertising and public messaging in print, broadcast and online since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged to assist with placing the advertisements and the companies advertised with in tabular form. [22288/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has engaged in a number of advertising and public messaging campaigns for the period in question. The details of these are being aggregated and a response will issue directly to the Deputy once all the information is collated.