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Departmental Contracts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2020

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

Ceisteanna (119)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

119. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has engaged a third-party company in each of the years 2017 to 2019 and to date in 2020 to conduct media monitoring and-or provide reports on media coverage of his Department; and if so, the costs of same and the companies engaged. [27660/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department and Ireland’s network of Diplomatic, Consular and other offices overseas perform a wide range of functions in pursuit of Ireland’s foreign policy interests. These include representing and advancing Government policies internationally, in particular at EU and UN levels; economic, trade and cultural promotion; frontline consular services; engaging with Irish diaspora communities; and programme management, particularly in Irish Aid priority countries. 

This work necessitates comprehensive access to the most up to date international and national news.  In 2019, to facilitate access to this, my Department procured an external monitoring service for press and broadcast media. Costs associated with this service are outlined in the table below.  While this contract allows for social media monitoring if required, this element is not currently utilised. The Department monitors its own and external social media activity through free analytical tools provided by the major social media platforms.

Prior to my Department procuring it’s own service in 2019, media monitoring services were accessed by the Department under a Framework provided by the Office of Government Procurement.  Costs associated with this service are outlined in Table 2.

Table 1

Cost 2019 to date by Supplier

Month

Supplier

Date

Cost

Oct-19

Truehawk

02/10/2019

€ 2,354.84

Oct-19

Truehawk

05/11/2019

€ 1,722.00

Nov-19

Truehawk

03/12/2019

€ 1,722.00

Dec-19

Truehawk

02/12/2019

€ 1,722.00

Jan-20

Truehawk

03/02/2020

€ 1,722.00

Feb-20

Truehawk

03/03/2020

€ 1,722.00

Mar-20

Truehawk

31/03/2020

€ 1,722.00

Apr-20

Truehawk

30/04/2020

€ 1,722.00

May-20

Truehawk

04/06/2020

€ 3,550.70

Jun-20

Truehawk

07/07/2020

€ 2,611.23

Jul-20

Truehawk

31/07/2020

€ 2,068.86

Aug-20

Truehawk

01/09/2020

€ 1,851.15

Table 2

Cost 2017-2019 by Supplier

Month

Supplier

Cost

Apr-17 to Aug-18

Kantar

€12,500.00

Sep-18

Kantar

€ 1,251.00

Oct-18

Kantar

€ 1,121.00

Nov-18

Kantar

€ 1,445.00

Dec-18

Kantar

€ 1,268.00

Jan-19

Kantar

€ 2,248.13

Feb-19

Kantar

€ 1,835.16

Mar-19

Kantar

€ 2,163.26

Apr-19

Kantar

€ 1,773.97

May-19

Kantar

€ 1,333.93

Jun-19

Kantar

€ 1,573.79

Jul-19

Kantar

€ 2,253.36

Aug-19

Kantar

€ 2,343.47

Sep-19

Kantar

€ 2,846.54

Nov-19

Kantar

€82.11

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