Departmental Expenditure

Thursday, 28 November 2019

Questions (246)

Barry Cowen

Question:

246. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount spent by his Department and each agency under the aegis of his Department on the National Ploughing Championships in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by online advertising, offline advertising, promotional material, wages, photography, stand rental and other costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49546/19]

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Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the tables, which detail all costs inclusive of VAT. As my Department was established on 19th July 2017, the information provided commences in 2017 and includes costs for 2018 and 2019.

In both 2017 and 2018 my Department hosted a joint exhibit at the National Ploughing Championships in conjunction with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, It should be noted that in 2017 the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht was the lead exhibitor and therefore incurred the higher percentage of costs relating to the shared exhibit. In 2018 my Department was the lead exhibitor and, in turn, incurred the higher percentage of costs.

At the 2019 Championships, Government Departments, Agencies and State-supported bodies were grouped in themed marquees, dictated by the nature of the supports, services and policy areas they have responsibility for. Costs relating to marquees were shared based on the extent of the space occupied.

Department of Rural and Community Development - Ploughing Championship costs

	2017	2018	2019
Online advertising	Nil	Nil	Nil
Offline advertising	Nil	Nil	Nil
Promotional material	€2,216	€9,596	€4,800
*Wages	-	-	-
Photography	€512	Nil	€1,540
Stand rental (marquee costs)	€41,398	€105,770	€82,186
Other costs	€5,835	€28,065	€15,868
Total	€49,961	€143,431	€104,394

*Staff were paid their normal rates of pay as this work was carried out in the course of their regular duties.

Agencies under the aegis of my Department

There are four agencies under the aegis of my Department;

- Pobal

- The Western Development Commission

- Water Safety Ireland

- The Charities Regulator

Pobal - Ploughing Championships costs

	2017	2018	2019
Online advertising	Nil	€5,314	Nil
Offline advertising	€419	Nil	€545
Promotional material	€8,386	€4,434	€8,781
*Wages	-	-	-
Photography	Nil	Nil	Nil
Stand rental (marquee costs)	Nil (Hosted in shared exhibit, costs borne by Department)	Nil (Hosted in shared exhibit, costs borne by Department)	Nil (Hosted in Health and Wellness Marquee)
Other costs	Nil	Nil	€38
Total	€8,805	€9,748	€9,364

*Staff were paid their normal rates of pay as this work was carried out in the course of their regular duties.

Western Development Commission - Ploughing Championships costs

	2017	2018	2019
Online advertising	Nil	Nil	Nil
Offline advertising	Nil	Nil	Nil
Promotional material	Nil	€1,759	€6,803
*Wages	-	-	-
Photography	Nil	Nil	Nil
Stand rental (marquee costs)	Nil (Hosted in shared exhibit, costs borne by Department)	Nil (Hosted in shared exhibit, costs borne by Department)	€1,471 (Hosted in Work & Business Marquee)
Other costs	€3,307	€1,949	€4,364
Total	€3,307	€3,708	€12,638

*Staff were paid their normal rates of pay as this work was carried out in the course of their regular duties.

Water Safety Ireland - Ploughing Championships costs

	2017	2018	2019
Online advertising	Nil	Nil	Nil
Offline advertising	Nil	Nil	Nil
Promotional material	€250	€250	€300
*Wages	-	-	-
Photography	Nil	Nil	Nil
Stand rental (marquee costs)	Nil (Hosted in shared exhibit, costs borne by Department)	Nil (Hosted in shared exhibit, costs borne by Department)	Nil (Hosted in Community: Rural and Gaeltacht Suppports Marquee, costs borne by Department)
Other costs	Nil	Nil	Nil
Total	€250	€250	€300

*Staffed by Volunteers

The Charities Regulator has not had a presence at the Ploughing Championships since it came under the remit of my Department.