The total amount of money paid out by my Department and the national cultural institutions in respect of public relations fees for the 12 month period October 2003 to September 2004 was €351,479. Of this total, Fleishman Hilliard Saunders received the highest amount, €127,141, for public relations and media services associated with the five month ReJoyce-Dublin 2004 festival. No payments were made to the particular company referred to by Deputy Enright.
Regarding fees paid to other consultants by my Department, a total of €1,544,334 was paid during the 12 month period in question. Of this, Deloitte & Touche received the highest amount, €194,014, in respect of verification controls on a representative sample of expenditure on projects funded under the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-1999 in compliance with the requirements of Article 3 of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2064/97.
Some 58% of the total public relations and consultancy payments referred to were made to consultants and companies contracted to provide specialist services in respect of major one-off projects and programmes undertaken by my Department during the period concerned, such as the ReJoyce Dublin 2004 festival; the cultural programme of Ireland's Presidency of the EU; and the festival of Irish culture held in China earlier this year.
Expenditure on public relations and other consultancy services is monitored closely in my Department. Such services are only engaged where the required expertise is not available within the Department.