I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 328 together.
Communication with the public is of significant importance to the Department given the nature of its work. The mission statement of the Department is to promote, nurture and develop Ireland’s Arts, culture and Heritage; to support and promote the use of the Irish language and to facilitate the development of Gaeltacht and the Islands.
Promoting the work of the Department gives an opportunity to offer a unique window to the richness and variety of our culture and give easy access to information on galleries, museum and events happening locally. It helps give the public knowledge and opportunities to experience our national parks, nature resources and waterways and also builds awareness and knowledge of our natural heritage and biodiversity. It helps raise appreciation of the Irish language and presents the relevance, vitality and value of the language.
The Department's communications strategy encompasses use of media across the wide range of schemes and programmes operated under the auspices of my Department.
The Department's communication presence and its management is undertaken by the Department‘s in-house Communications and Press Office team which comprises 5 staff. Content is also supplied by staff across the Department who are engaged in the day to day work in the Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht Divisions.
In 2019, costs arose in relation to specific initiatives as outlined below.
-·In relation to Creative Ireland expenditure of €76,506 was incurred in respect of social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube) which included research, image sourcing and scheduling) to maximise awareness of the Programme, taking into account the diversity of the target audiences. The Creative Ireland Programme undertook a bespoke two month campaign from April to June on regional radio and online to promote participation in and provide support to the over 750 events being organised by the Local Authorities across the country as part of Cruinniú na nÓg on June 15, a day of creativity for children and young people. The cost of this campaign amounted to €92,565.
·- A series of 20 videos and video promos were also commissioned in 2019 at a cost of €101,017 to promote various aspects of the Programme particularly Cruinniú na nÓg, initiatives such as Creative Schools under Pillar 1 ‘Creative Youth’ and innovative projects under the National Creativity Fund across the various platforms outlined above.
No videos are planned in the Department as yet for 2020.
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Policy Area
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Event
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Estimated cost
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Heritage
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Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme
(Newspaper Advertisements, announcement of calls for applications for Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme)
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€6,700
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Creative Ireland Programme
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Social media Jan-Nov 2019
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€76,506
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Cruinniú na nÓg promotion nationwide
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€92,565
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Creative Ireland videos and video promotions
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€101,017
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Culture Ireland
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Live streaming of the Culture Ireland Global Ireland 2025 Conference
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€ 3,167
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