Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 July 2014
155. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total cost of public relations and communications services to his Department in 2013; the spend to date in 2014; the total estimate for 2014; the corresponding figures for each agency funded from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31530/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor the period referred to by the Deputy my Department has not incurred expenditure on external public relations and communications services. From time to time, consultants or companies with a public relations and communications background are commissioned to provide other professional services such as project management, logistics and event management.
DHR Communications has been contracted since 2010 to manage and administer grants under the Simon Cumbers Media Fund (SCMF). This involves managing three funding rounds each year for journalists and students, including through national and regional information workshops; managing and administering the application process; organising the judging process and providing detailed feedback to all applicants; processing grant payments and keeping detailed administrative and financial records; maintaining and updating the SCMF website and managing the SCMF student competition.
DHR was awarded a two-year contract to 2012 and was re-engaged in February 2012 for a further two years following a competitive tendering process. The contract was extended in 2014 for a further year. Following a competitive tendering process, DHR was engaged to plan, manage and execute a national Africa Day flagship event in Dublin. This includes the administration of a small grants scheme for regional events which DHR managed on behalf of the Department in partnership with a number of local authorities. DHR also worked to raise public awareness of the Africa Day events, including through the use of social media and the Africa Day website. This work represented a very minor element of the project and was conducted in close cooperation with my Department's communications office. Africa Day Family Days, incorporating musical entertainment, cultural activities and an African Bazaar, were hosted by the Department at the Farmleigh Estate in 2013 and 2014.
In recent years the Department has helped broaden coverage of global development themes and of the countries with which Irish Aid works through support to the Simon Cumbers Media Fund. Other media initiatives include co-funding of the RTE Radio Series 'One World' in 2013 to allow for a more consistent and integrated approach to coverage of development issues on the national broadcaster. The Department also provides grant funding to support the 'What in the World' television series, produced by KMF Productions, and broadcast on RTE television. Figures for the costs associated with these initiatives are contained in the following table.
My Department avails of the services of external photographic agencies where it is warranted, in particular, for major events and State occasions. This is a service which my Department provides so that the media can easily and freely avail of photography where their own staff photographers cannot be fully accommodated. In the case of Ireland's Presidency of the EU in 2013, there was a demand for photography which would not routinely apply. My Department continues to make greater use of in-house resources for photography.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. The total communication costs for 2014 are expected to be broadly in line with 2013. There are no agencies under the aegis of my Department.
|
- |
2013 € |
2014 € |
|
Photography |
10,534 |
3,189 |
|
Photography (Irish Aid) |
5,189 |
1,764 |
|
Africa Day |
118,643 |
167,588 |
|
SCMF (administration & grants) |
134,825 |
123,434 |
|
RTE Radio 'One World' |
38,867 |
nil |
|
“What in the World” |
40,000 |
20,000 |
|
Total |
349,058 |
315,975 |
