I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 61 together.
Photography - 2017
My Department only 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. Events such as the visit of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in May 2017 and those by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada in July 2017 and UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in November 2017 resulted in positive overseas media coverage of Ireland.
Through the Office of Government Procurement an updated Multi-Supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of Professional Photography and Videography is now in operation. My Department procures the services of external photographic agencies via this Framework where necessary.
In addition, my Department continues to avail of in-house resources for photography whenever possible.
The cost of photography to my Department for events which took place in 2017 is listed in Table 1. A small number of invoices for photography at events held during 2017 have yet to be received. In the time available, it has not proved possible to compile a breakdown of photography costs associated with events organized by Ireland’s network of 80 diplomatic missions abroad.
Table 1: Photography Costs - 2017
HQ Total: €39, 165.66
Mission Total: €14, 216.21
Department Total to date for 2017: €53,381.87
|
Description
|
Date
|
Cost
|
Minister
|
Photographer
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
13/12/2016
|
€351.85
|
Minister Mr. Joe McHugh,, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Senator Gary Harte Iveagh House Lecture 14/12/2016
|
17/01/2017
|
575.64
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Minister Flanagan 21/12/2016
|
17/01/2017
|
292.74
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
02/03/2017
|
€351.85
|
Minister Andrew Doyle, T.D. representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Minister Flanagan
|
07/03/2017
|
68.88
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of Bosnian Foreign Minister
|
07/03/2017
|
516.6
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of New Zealand Foreign Minister
|
07/03/2017
|
551.04
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of Japanese Foreign Minister
|
07/03/2017
|
740.07
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography US Ambassador Farewell Event
|
07/03/2017
|
120.54
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography All Island Civic Dialogue Media Trip 16/02/17
|
13/03/2017
|
1412.04
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of Australia Foreign Minister 24/02/17
|
13/03/2017
|
671.58
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of Secretary of State for NI James Brokenshire 14/02/17
|
13/03/2017
|
413.28
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of UAE Foreign Minister 20/02/17
|
13/03/2017
|
585.48
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Bundestag And Milliband Visit 23/02/17
|
13/03/2017
|
878.22
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Visit of French Foreign Minister 22/02/17
|
13/03/2017
|
654.36
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Email of Jpeg for annual report 22/03/17
|
22/03/2017
|
14
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
07/04/2017
|
€351.85
|
Minister Catherine Byrne , T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Visit of Luxembourg Foreign Minister 10/03/17
|
25/04/2017
|
1222.62
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography: Launch of Online Passport Service 30/03/17
|
25/04/2017
|
585.48
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Photography Email of Jpegs for Civic Dialogue 17/02/17
|
25/04/2017
|
189.42
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
27/04/2017
|
€351.85
|
Minister Damien English, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
16/05/2017
|
€351.85
|
Minister Marcella Corcoran T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Visit of EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier 12/05/17
|
17/05/2017
|
1100.85
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Global Irish Civic Forum 04/05/17
|
17/05/2017
|
1168.5
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Photocall Ireland
|
|
Photography Royal Visit Kilkenny 11/05/17
|
18/05/2017
|
999.38
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Min Flan meeting Deputy PM Vietnam 24/04/17
|
23/05/2017
|
204.3
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Denis Byrne
|
|
Photography Royal Visit Farmleigh Gallery 11/05/17
|
23/05/2017
|
467.4
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Photocall Ireland
|
|
Photography GAA & Irish Abroad Global Games Launch 24/05/17
|
09/06/2017
|
522.75
|
Minister Mc Hugh
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Visit of Danish Foreign Minister 02/06/17
|
13/06/2017
|
977.85
|
Minster Flanagan
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Chinese Delegation Visit to Iveagh House 08/06/17
|
13/06/2017
|
522.75
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography All Island Civic Dialogue Event in Letterkenny 22/05/17
|
13/06/2017
|
442.8
|
Minister Mc Hugh
|
Clive Wasson
|
|
Photography Royal Visit Dublin Friday 12/05/17
|
15/06/2017
|
1136.52
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Maxwells
|
|
Presentation Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
15/06/2017
|
€351.82
|
Minister Joe McHugh, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Visit of Prince Albert of Monaco 23/06/17
|
27/06/2017
|
1014.75
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Joint Ireland UK Messines Commemoration 07/06/2017
|
27/06/2017
|
500
|
n/a
|
Eric Flamand
|
|
Photography Visit of Finnish Foreign Minister 03/07/17
|
06/07/2017
|
1383.75
|
Minister Coveney
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Visit of Prime Minister of Canada 3-4/07/17
|
06/07/2017
|
2736.75
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Passport Stats Photo 18/07/17
|
19/07/2017
|
611.85
|
Minister Coveney
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Visit of Japanese Princess Takamado 09/07/17
|
19/07/2017
|
522.75
|
Minister Flanagan
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Official Photos for Min Coveney, MoS Cannon, Ambassador O'Neil and visit of Secretary of State for NI
|
02/09/2017
|
2214
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
05/09/2017
|
€454.20
|
Minister Mary Mitchell-O’Connor, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Visit of former President of Finland & Nobel Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari
|
06/09/2017
|
854.85
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
21/09/2017
|
€351.85
|
Minister John Paul Phelan,, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Missile Control Conference
|
24/10/2017
|
984
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Reconciliation Forum 28/10/17
|
07/11/2017
|
799.5
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Presentation of Credentials by Diplomatic Corps
|
14/11/2017
|
€351.85
|
Minister, Ciarán Cannon, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
|
Photography Visit of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson
|
24/11/2017
|
922.5
|
Minister Coveney
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Team Ireland Conference Croke Park
|
24/11/2017
|
645.75
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Visit of Latvian Foreign Minister
|
24/11/2017
|
522.75
|
Minister Coveney
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Human Rights Conference
|
24/11/2017
|
522.75
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Future of Europe Launch event
|
24/11/2017
|
731.85
|
Taoiseach, Minister Coveney and MoS McEntee
|
Julien Behal
|
|
Photography Brexit Media trip
|
24/11/2017
|
2829
|
n/a
|
Julien Behal
|
|
New Years’ Greetings by the President for the Diplomatic Corps
|
|
€1,064.80
|
Minister Helen McEntee, T.D., representing the Government
|
Maxwell Photography
|
Advertising - 2017
My Department engages in advertising of Government information which it is considered necessary to bring to the attention of citizens . Online adult passport renewals are a key part of the Passport Reform Programme and my Department has advertised in 2017 in order to ensure a good uptake by citizens of this innovative service.
The advertising in question took the form of a multi-format outdoor transport campaign combined with digital units in Dublin and Belfast Airports to promote the online passport service. The outdoor transport campaign ran over two two-week cycles in May and June. The digital units in Dublin and Belfast Airports ran from May to August. In addition to the outdoor campaign, a further online and social media campaign was also run with ads being placed around digital articles and social media activity on travel-related themes. This part of the campaign ran from April until August of this year.
The advertising was successful in helping to raise public awareness of this award-winning new service and has seen over 108,000 people avail of it to date. The total cost of the advertising is outlined in the following table:
Table 2: Advertising Costs - 2017
|
Activity
|
Cost
|
Supplier
|
|
Public Information Campaign to raise awareness of the Online Passport Service
|
€210,324.15
|
MEC
|
Communications / Public Relations
In 2017, my Department has not engaged outside public relations companies for the purposes of communications or public relations advice.
My Department has from time to time commissioned companies with a public relations and communications background but this has been for the provision of other professional services such as project management, logistics and event management, particularly in relation to Irish Aid public outreach activities.
Website Development – 2017
The Department’s websites (including www.dfa.ie, www.irishaid.ie, www.globalirish.ie and those of Ireland’s 80 diplomatic missions abroad) are used to publish valuable information for citizens, including on passports and citizenship, updates on the work of the Department and its Ministers and Government travel advisories for over 200 countries abroad. The Department’s websites receive in excess of 27 million page views per year.
Maintenance and development costs during 2017 in this area have been as follows:
Table 3: Website Development Costs - 2017
|
Activity
|
Cost
|
Supplier
|
|
Website Development
|
€30,080
|
Action Point Innovation Ltd.
|
|
Website Development
|
€65,054
|
Terminal Four Solutions Ltd.
|
|
Subtotal
|
€95,134
|
|
|
Additional Website Services Development Costs
|
€132,566
|
Action Point Innovation Ltd.
|
|
Additional Website Services Development Costs
|
€43,917
|
Capita IB Solutions
|
|
Subtotal
|
€176,483
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
€271,617
|
|
Media Interview Training and Preparation – 2017
Senior Department staff members have received training on communicating in crisis situations, which is fundamental in ensuring that the Department serves Irish citizens at home and abroad during consular emergencies overseas. The relevant payments made in 2017 were as follows:
Table 4: Media Interview Training and Preparation – 2017
|
Activity
|
Cost
|
Supplier
|
|
Pre-posting training in communications
|
€3000
|
Communications Clinic
|
