Vol. 490 No. 5
205 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children the costs incurred since July 1997 for public relations and media advice to him, for personal photographs and any photographic work to cover functions attended by him outside of the normal coverage provided by photographers of local and national papers. [10722/98]
The cost of public relations and media advice to me in the period July 1997 to date is £31,717.78. Not all this expenditure relates to services provided to my office alone. It would include also the cost of public relations and media advice to various sections of my Department.
The cost of photographic work of the type referred to by the Deputy from July 1997 to date is £3,379.35. Some of this expenditure would be in respect of photographic services to the Ministers of State in my Department, the cost of which cannot be isolated from the overall figure.
The comparable figures for the period July 1996 to June 1997 for media advice and photographic services are £67,760 and £3,245.32 respectively.
