Vol. 537 No. 2
322 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of people employed in her Department's press office; the estimated annual budget of the office; the estimated cost of public relations consultancy engaged by her Department, showing the figures for 1998-2000; and the estimated costs for 2001. [15898/01]
Apart from my media adviser there are four members of staff employed in my Department's press and information office. This office does not have a specific allocation of funding.
Neither my Department nor I has engaged directly in expenditure on public relations consultancies in the period in question. I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 185 of 11 April 2001 regarding the estimated cost of public relations consultancies engaged by national cultural institutions under the aegis of my Department. These figures included the years 1998 to 2000, inclusive. The figures for the year 2001 to date are: The National Museum – nil; the National Library – £7,346, and the National Archives – nil.
