Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Apr 1993

Vol. 429 No. 6

Written Answers. - Public Relations and Media Consultants.

Ivan Yates

Question:

250 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he will give details of the firms which have been retained in his Departmental area and that of his Minister of State for market research, advertising, public relations and marketing purposes; the projects, if any, which are being carried out by each of these firms; the fees or retainers, if any, which are being carried out for each of these projects; the duration of the contract for each project; if all such services were secured through tendering; and if he will give details of the tendering procedure used.

Minister for Tourism and Trade (Mr. McCreevy)

My Department has engaged Carr Communications Limited as public relations and media consultants. This contract is effective from January 1993 for a period of one year. The cost of the contract is £26,000 per annum exclusive of VAT and certain third party costs which are on the basis of vouched receipts. The Government contract procedures do not prescribe competitive tendering for consultancy services where the service sought is of a specialist nature but do specify that the sanction of the Department of Finance should be sought. That Department's sanction was obtained on this occasion.

There is no Minister of State at my Department.