Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1057. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education if her Department has spent money or sought external assistance with Departmental, Ministerial public relations; and if so, the cost; and the name of the agencies, consultants and companies involved in each of the past ten years and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [39969/22]
View answerDuring the period August-October 2020, the Department of Education entered into two contracts for the provision of enhanced communications capacity for short periods. The companies engaged supported necessary communications with a wide range of stakeholders on matters relating to school reopening and the Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades projects.
The Department paid €6,000 to McQuaid Media and Communications to provide communications services to the Department to support the school reopening process and the Calculated Grades project.
The Department used the services of the Communications Clinic to provide communications services to the Department and Minister in preparing communications material for disseminating important messages to students and the general public in respect of the Calculated Grades process for 2020 Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students. The cost of this was €16,100.
The Department has not incurred any other costs in relation to external public relations for the period outlined.
