As previously advised to the House in reply to Question No. 579 of 7 November 2017, officials of my Department and the then Minister received a presentation from the Strategic Communications Unit of the Department of the Taoiseach at my Department’s offices in Kildare Street, Dublin 2, on 11 October last. Since then, I have appointed an Assistant Secretary to represent my Department on the SCU Inter-Departmental Group which meets regularly.
A number of officials from my Department have also attended briefings by the SCU on the work of the Unit and the areas of my Department's activities in which the Unit could play a role, having regard to its mandate to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and cross Government cooperation to foster and develop a whole of Government approach to communications and communications priorities in respect of Government information campaigns and related issues. The Creative Ireland Programme and Bliain na Gaeilge have been identified as two such priorities for my Department in 2018.