Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2013
166. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the basis upon which it was decided where to spend the public funding on promoting the Irish Presidency, and in particular if moneys were spent on any newspaper supplements or advertisements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34272/13]
View answer167. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if moneys were spent on promoting or outlining achievements during Ireland's EU Presidency after the Presidency was concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34273/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 167 together.
In the European Year of Citizens, we felt it important to keep Irish citizens informed on the developments of the Irish Presidency through a modest and cost-efficient information campaign. An information feature was published in the Metro Herald on 9 January. Coinciding with the visit of the College of the European Commission to Dublin, the feature marked the start of the Presidency, the 40th anniversary of Ireland joining the EEC and the European Year of Citizens. It also drew attention to the Presidency website www.eu2013.ie as a source of ongoing information for the public about the Presidency and about Ireland in Europe. This feature cost €14,000 plus VAT.
Metro Herald was again used for an information feature on 2 July to outline the results of the Presidency as it came to an end. To provide information beyond Dublin and the surrounding counties, a further information feature was published with a national newspaper, the Irish Independent, on 5 July. Each of these features cost €14,000 plus VAT.
These features were placed through the advertising agency which holds a framework contract for print advertising with the government; the agency was consulted as to the reach achieved by such features, the optimum timing for publication, the availability of specific dates and of course maximising value for money given the limited budget available. At the outset of the Presidency, we secured 37 billboard posters for Dublin city centre from Dublin City Council – there was no rental cost for these and minimal design cost as we re-used the Presidency branding already developed. There was no online or broadcast advertising undertaken and no further publications are planned.
As is customary for an EU Presidency, a report outlining our legislative results over the six months was produced on 1 July. The cost incurred were €6,236.10 for the design of the 100-page report in four language versions and €3,891.96 for translation. This document, produced within a tight turnaround time, is available for download on the Presidency website at www.eu2013.ie in all four languages. There was also a limited print run of this report which was managed by the in-house printing capacity in the Department of Finance.
These modest outlays will be covered from within the Presidency budget in the Department of the Taoiseach. As you may be aware, the overall budget for the 2013 Presidency was set at €60 million, excluding security costs. This amounted to an overall figure in excess of 40% less than the cost of the 2004 Presidency. With some costs still to be determined, it is now clear at this stage that projected Presidency spending will come under the original Presidency budget of €60m. The revised projected Presidency spend is now €51m, a saving of at least €9m. As final payments are made, a full financial report will be published later this year setting out the final cost of the Presidency.
