Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

My Department incurred expenditure of €11,615,375 on advertising in 2021. This figure is provisional until the 2021 accounts are finalised. The majority of that spend related to Covid-19 public information campaigns, amounting to €11,565,853. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic there have been 68 separate public information campaigns, with each campaign using a combination of national press, regional press, radio, digital display, social media, TV and online video. The campaigns played a vital role by informing citizens at all stages about encouraging key behaviours necessary to control the virus; the various supports to businesses and citizens being made available by the Government during the pandemic; the implementation of the vaccination programme; and the restrictions as they were introduced and subsequently lifted.

In 2021, the non-Covid advertising costs that were incurred were €27,638 in relation to the advertising of judicial and Director of Public Prosecutions appointments; €20,625 to facilitate a public consultation by the Future of Media Commission; and €1,617 for an information campaign regarding budget 2021. A further €4 million has been allocated in budget 2022 for expenditure on Covid-19 public communications. My Department will continue to co-ordinate communications for the whole-of-government response to the pandemic. There will continue to be expenditure on public information notices and campaigns as needed as we continue to manage the response to the Covid-19 virus.

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