Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 31 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Advertising.

Nora Owen

Question:

83 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Finance the number of advertisements in written media, radio or television since July 1997 that have contained a reference to the Minister by name or title; the number he has actually appeared or spoken in; if any instructions have been issued to companies or advertising agencies that when advertising a particular scheme or project sponsored by their Department, the Minister or the Government is to be included; the costs of all such advertisements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16420/01]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

The table below details the number of advertisements, since July 1997, which have contained a reference to my name or title.

Advertising Media	Number of references	Number of Instances where the Minister has spoken or appeared	Cost
Newspaper	32	1	£91,500.05
Radio	1	1	See note below*

*A sum of £89,300.47 is payable to Brindley Advertising Limited for services in placing the radio advertising for the special savings incentive scheme. This invoice has not been received by this Department yet. Brindley Advertising Limited hold the current Government advertising contract. Some £6,300 is payable to EURO RSCG Ireland for the design of the newspaper advertising and the supply of the copy for the radio advertising. This invoice has not been received by this Department yet.

When advertising a particular scheme or project sponsored by this Department in many cases a reference will be made to the Minister for Finance using the title alone. In a small minority of cases, where this has been recommended by the advertising agency, reference has been made to the Minister by name.

Under EU regulations, agencies involved in the implementation of EU co-funded measures under the NDP are required to put in place appropriate arrangements to promote the measure and the fact that it is receiving support from EU structural funds. As part of this process, and in order to promote and raise awareness of the measures under the national development plan among potential beneficiaries and the public at large, the Government approved a communications strategy for the NDP which includes the use of an NDP logo and of the EU logo where appropriate. In this regard, the detailed identity guidelines for the National Development Plan Logo, page 2, approved by the Government, require that ‘the phrase ‘Funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000 to 2006' must be included prominently in all relevant publicity materials, advertisements, information leaflets and application forms'. Reference to the EU structural funds must also be included where a measure is co-financed by the EU. At this time, my Department has not placed any advertisements in relation to NDP measures and, as such, no such instructions have issued to advertising agencies or companies.