Written Answers. - Departmental Expenditure.
Michael Ring
Ceist:
338
Mr. Ring
asked the
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
the amount which was spent in his Department for 2002 for media purposes and advertising; the areas in which the money was spent, that is, national papers, provincial papers, RTE radio, local radios and so on; the amount of money which was spent on videos, if for promotional, educational or advertising purposes; the public relations staff which are employed in his Department; and the cost for 2002.
[4187/03]
Marian Harkin
Ceist:
343
Ms Harkin
asked the
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
the number and cost of personnel involved in his Department in media, media marketing and public relations activities, including external public relations and media monitoring services in the periods 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001, 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002, and 1 January 2003 to date.
[4006/03]
Marian Harkin
Ceist:
345
Ms Harkin
asked the
Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
the amount of money spent on media advertising in the periods 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001, 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002, and 1 January 2003 to date.
[4036/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 338, 343 and 345 together.
The Deputies will appreciate that my Department, with its present range of functions, was established in June 2002 with functions trans ferred in from five other Government Departments and functions transferred out to three other Government Departments. Against this background a degree of difficulty arises in providing the information requested. However, I am happy to provide the following information available to my Department.
Brindley Advertising holds the Government contract for advertising in the print media. The total expenditure on advertising, mainly for statutory and official notifications, placed by my Department and its predecessor, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, with that company for the years in question was as follows:
|
€
|
£
|
|
2001
|
632,189
|
497,889
|
|
2002
|
829,528
|
|
|
2003 (to date)
|
5,099
|
|
The following amounts were also paid in respect of advertising during these periods:
To RTE
|
€
|
|
|
2001
|
400
|
|
|
2002
|
1,362
|
|
|
2003 (to date)
|
50
|
|
To O'Meara & Partners, in respect of advertising of the National Folk Life Museum, Turlough House, Castlebar:
To Montague Communications, in respect of the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, €19,303 was paid in 2002.
Payments made by my Department's press office for external public relations and media monitoring services were as follows:
2001
|
£
|
|
Media monitoring
|
6,267.67
|
|
Public relations
|
4,802.82
|
|
Total
|
11,070.49
|
2002
|
€
|
|
Media monitoring
|
6,742,31
|
|
Public relations
|
2,108.66
|
|
Total
|
8,850.97
|
2003
|
€
|
|
Media monitoring
|
731.45
|
|
Public relations
|
Nil
|
|
Total
|
731.45
|
The information sought in relation to personnel numbers and costs in this area is as follows:
1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 – former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands:
5 personnel: Salary costs for the period in 2001 amounted to €177,642.
1 January 2002 to 5 June 2002 – former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands:
5 personnel: Salary costs for the period to 5 June 2002 amounted to €84,253.
6 June 2002 to 31 December 2002 – Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs:
4 personnel: Salary costs from 6 June to 31 December 2002 amounted to €50,253.
1 January 2003 to date – Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs:
4 personnel: Salary costs in 2003 to date amounted to €17,726.
While my Department employs no public relations staff, I should say for the sake of completeness that the above costs include the costs of a Press Adviser.
