Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There has been significant spend on public information campaigns during the pandemic, although we can all accept there was a necessity for public health reasons. The Department of An Taoiseach roughly estimated that €20 million has been spent since 2020. For example, €1.4 million was spent on online advertising, with a further €500,000 in 2021. Up to the end of April, €8.3 million was spent on broadcast media, of which €1.4 million has been spent thus far this year. Some €6.2 million was spent on print media, of which €1.3 million was spent in 2020, and so on and so forth. The Department has provided me with a long list of spending on this issue. There has been a considerable spend on merrionstreet.ieas well.

Who decides what gets advertised, where and how it is advertised and where the spend is going? Who is making the final decisions? Is it Department officials or political advisers?

The second question is important, given the Taoiseach's history in terms of money being spent by Governments on promoting projects. How much of a budget, if any, does the Taoiseach expect to commit to advertising the economic recovery plan which was published yesterday? I would be shocked if there was an advertisement put out, considering the history in terms of the strategic communications unit, much of which I agreed with.

Will there be any advertising campaigns during the Taoiseach's time in government for political decisions made as regards the recovery plan or anything else? I presume not. I presume the Taoiseach will stand over what he said in opposition - I apologise; he was supporting the previous Government - regarding projects and political decisions in that they will not be promoted in a political way by his Government.

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