Government Information Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

Questions (82, 83, 84, 88)

Niall Collins

Question:

82. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the Government initiatives in 2017 that promoted State services or welfare payments, public awareness on regulatory changes and public consultations that involved advertising and promotion on television, radio, newspapers and online, in tabular form; the level of expenditure for each such initiative; and if the strategic communications unit was involved in each initiative including the issuing of instructions and advice on promoting each such initiative. [54417/17]

Niall Collins

Question:

83. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach if a public procurement tender process was carried out for each Government-branded information initiative in 2017 that promoted State services or welfare payments, public awareness on regulatory changes and public consultations, in tabular form. [54418/17]

Niall Collins

Question:

84. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach his views on confirmation by a person (details supplied) that the Government-branded information initiative was conceived by the strategic communications unit; and if all local, national and online media information awareness campaigns on State services which were previously the responsibility of Government Departments will be under the Government brand henceforth. [54419/17]

Niall Collins

Question:

88. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the level of expenditure by his Department from 1 January 2017 to date on advertising of Government information campaigns published specifically in national and regional newspapers in addition to all online advertising for all such Government information campaigns; the name of each such information campaign to which this expenditure related; and the amount in euro, in tabular form. [54432/17]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 to 84, inclusive, and 88 together.

The Strategic Communications Unit in my Department was involved in the Government initiatives in 2017 listed in the following table.

Initiative	SCU Involvement	Cost **
Back to School	Video support and sponsored posts on social media	Work completed, invoices to be received. Est costs €10,000 ex VAT
Treatment Benefits	Video support, sponsored posts on social media and provision of the Government of Ireland logo	€5,445.83 Further invoices due for social media spend
Winter Ready	Provision of Government of Ireland logo	NIL
Regional Development Fund	Video support, sponsored posts on social media and provision of the Government of Ireland logo	€7905.83
Budget '18	Video support, sponsored posts on social media and provision of the Government of Ireland logo	Work completed, invoices to be received. Est costs €15,000 ex VAT
Bliain na Gaeilge	Provision of the Government of Ireland logo - Rialtas na hEireann	NIL
Luas Cross City	Video support, sponsored posts on social media and provision of Government of Ireland logo.	Work completed, invoices to be received. Est costs €5,000 ex VAT
Healthy Ireland	Creative Production for Radio and Digital media campaign	€16,605 Further invoices to follow.

**These figures relate to expenditure incurred and to be incurred by the Strategic Communications Unit and do not include costs incurred by the relevant department on other media activity around each campaign.

There was no spend by my Department on advertising government Information campaigns in national and regional newspapers in 2017.

All contracts awarded by my Department are procured in accordance with standard public procurement rules through the Office of Government Procurement.

As part of the Government's simplification of communications for Irish citizens, one of the main projects under development is streamlining the myriad of Government identities into one unified Government of Ireland identity. International best practice has demonstrated that rationalising Government branding can create notable efficiencies, cost savings and significant improvement in clarity for citizens as to the work of Government.

Countries such as Canada, the UK and the Netherlands have successfully undertaken significant Government identity rationalisation projects in the last decade.

Building on the identity work developed as part of the Creative Ireland 2017 work programme - a streamlined identity "Rialtas na hÉireann" Government of Ireland, with the traditional Harp is now being piloted across Government.

The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.