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Project Ireland 2040 Launch

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 February 2018

Tuesday, 27 February 2018

Questions (98, 101, 102, 107, 108, 110, 112, 113, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 122)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

98. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Taoiseach the details of all newspaper, magazine and online advertisements on the launch of Project Ireland 2040; and the costs associated with each advertisement spot, in tabular form. [9834/18]

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Micheál Martin

Question:

101. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the cost of marketing the launch of the NDP and NPF in newspapers and social media at national and local level; if it was the strategic communications unit that co-ordinated the information campaign; and if there was a procurement process on same. [9349/18]

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Micheál Martin

Question:

102. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the partnership arrangements that the strategic communications unit has with each national and local newspaper to promote Government campaigns; and the cost involved. [9350/18]

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Niall Collins

Question:

107. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the number of officials and advisers from his Department who travelled to the launch of the NDP and NPF in County Sligo; and the cost of same. [9379/18]

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Micheál Martin

Question:

108. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the cost of his Department's involvement in the NDP and NPF launch that was held in County Sligo on 16 February 2018; and if this was the total cost. [9380/18]

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Micheál Martin

Question:

110. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if the strategic communications unit has access to other budgets in other Departments to promote the NDP and NPF. [9399/18]

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Marc MacSharry

Question:

112. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Taoiseach the cost of and expenditure on hosting the launch of the national planning framework and national development plan in County Sligo on 16 February 2018 by heading, in tabular form. [9055/18]

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Dara Calleary

Question:

113. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the number of contracts entered into by the strategic communications unit for the publication and launch of the national development plan; the cost of each contract; the purpose of each contract; and if the procurement process went through the Office of Government Procurement. [9098/18]

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Dara Calleary

Question:

115. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the cost of publishing the national development plan 2018-27; the cost of its launch in County Sligo on 16 February 2018; the cost of the presentation that accompanied the launch; the invoices to be received and the contracts that have been entered into; the cost of advertising in social media for the plan and its launch; the cost of advertising in newspapers for the plan and its launch; the cost of the website used for the national planning framework; the cost of the presentation video on the national planning framework website; and the number of visits to that site. [9096/18]

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Dara Calleary

Question:

116. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the number of contracts entered into for the publication and launch of the national development plan; the cost of each contract; the purpose of each contract; and if each contract was organised by the Office of Government Procurement. [9097/18]

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Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

117. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Taoiseach the full costs of the Project Ireland 2040 launch in County Sligo on 16 February 2018; and the costs associated with web design, document design, media consulting and other costs associated with the event and its preparation. [9057/18]

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Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

118. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Taoiseach the details of the television, radio and cinema advertisements for the launch of Project Ireland 2040; and the costs associated with each advertisement's spot, in tabular form. [9633/18]

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Brendan Howlin

Question:

119. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach the spend by his Department on the launch and promotion of Project Ireland 2040 to date; the projected future spend and allocated budget; the breakdown of spending by supplier and purpose of the expenditure; and the advertising or advertorial commissioned. [9758/18]

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Micheál Martin

Question:

122. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach the marketing budget allocated to the NDP and NPF launch; and the cost of cinema and newspaper advertisements at national and local level for same. [9809/18]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 101, 102, 107, 108, 110, 112, 113, 115 to 119, inclusive, and 122 together.

An objective of the Government is to improve citizens’ understanding of what it is doing on their behalf, what their entitlements are, and the workings of Government in general.

In support of this objective, the Government has approved a list of policy areas for which citizen-focused information campaigns will be run.

These campaigns are funded from the €5 million budget allocated to strategic communications.

As an overarching policy initiative, with significant reach, Project Ireland 2040 is the most important information campaign which will be run in 2018. Given the €116 billion taxpayer spend envisaged, the Government believes that it is essential that citizens understand how and where this investment will be made and how it will impact on their lives.

To this end, a comprehensive citizen awareness programme has been developed for the plan, with the goal of informing as many citizens as possible, creating awareness of the plan and enhancing citizen engagement with the detail in it relating to their lives. While the full spend will not be finalised until the end of the campaign, an indicative budget of €1.5m has been allocated from within the overall €5 million allocation. The cost for the launch event for the plan was approximately €45,000 ex vat.

This is a multi-faceted, year-long communications programme, co-ordinated by the Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) in my Department, which uses existing contracts (agency, media buying etc) and includes the following aspects:

- Comprehensive briefings from cross-Government Senior Officials

- Regional Launch Events

- Sectoral Forums

- County Forums

- Online communications programme

- Production of informational videos

- National and Regional Outdoor campaign

- National and Local Print Media - Content Partnerships

- Cinema Campaign

- Content Partnership with Regional and National Radio Stations.

No TV Advertising is included in this information programme.

In keeping with previous National Development Plans, Project Ireland 2040 is being communicated to citizens through media partnerships.  Content partnerships have been established with the following media outlets:

- Irish Times

- INM Group

- Examiner Group

- Journal Media

- 30 Regional Newspapers

- 28 Local and National Radio Stations

The media buying process to enable this was handled by a third party media buying organization, appointed via an open procurement competition.

As with previous National Development Plans, all stories run under media partnerships are clearly identifiable as such.

Each media organisation was provided with a content pack relating to Project Ireland 2040. Any decisions relating to editorial style were entirely a matter for each organisation. The SCU had no input in selecting or contacting any external or third party interviewees. The SCU had no direct contact with regional media organizations.

In general, funding for campaigns will come from the Strategic Communications budget. In some cases, there will be a 50/50 split with the relevant Government Department, depending on the nature and scope of the campaign. As regards printing costs for Project Ireland 2040, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was responsible for the printing costs associated for the National Development Plan and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government was responsible for the costs associated with printing of the National Planning Framework.

Project Ireland 2040 was launched in Sligo IT on Friday February 16th 2018. Events of the day included a Government meeting to approve the plan, the actual launch of the plan and a number of media engagements carried out by myself and the Cabinet. My Department was responsible for all planning and arrangements for the day. This involved attendance by the following:

- 7 Cabinet Secretariat/Protocol staff to support the Cabinet meeting

- 9 SCU staff to support the launch

- 5 Officials/advisers with policy responsibility

- 5 Press Officers to support media engagements

As the launch is very recent, payments such as travel and subsistence and hotel accommodation have not yet been processed through our financial system.

In addition to the campaign for Project Ireland 2040 outlined above, the Strategic Communications Unit utilises all media in the course of the delivery of Government priority campaigns. The choice of media is informed by the nature, subject and reach of the campaign. As part of the Healthy Ireland Campaign, the SCU with their colleagues in the Department of Health, formed a media content partnership with a national daily newspaper to produce health supplements as part of the campaign. Similarly, the Unit worked with the Department of Education and Skills on a supplement in a national daily newspaper as part of the Action Plan for Education.

Costs for these media content partnerships are as follows:

Newspaper

Campaign

Cost

Irish Independent

Healthy Ireland

€96,300 ex vat

Irish Independent

Action Plan for Education

€8,600 ex vat

The Project Ireland 2040 campaign is ongoing and is subject to regular review. Therefore, the cost of media content partnerships is not yet finalised. It will be published once finalised.

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