Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Taoiseach the amount of money spent on advertising and promotions in his Department and each agency under his aegis for each of the years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and to date in 2009 in tabular readable form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31583/09]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The amounts spent by my Department on advertising and promotions from 2004 to date are set out in the table beneath.

Expenditure was incurred for a variety of purposes including advertisements in the national media in relation to:

· commemorative events such as the National Day of Commemoration and the Annual 1916 Easter Rising Commemoration;

· the OECD review of the Irish Public Service;

· public consultation associated with the Statute Law Revision Programme;

· preparation of my Department's new scheme in accordance with Section 15 of the Official Languages Act, 2003;

· public consultation process in relation to the Taskforce on Active Citizenship.

Expenditure was also incurred by my Department for Official notifications which were placed in Iris Oifigiúil to publicise the making of Government appointments, Government Orders and related matters. The expenditure incurred on advertising by the agencies under the aegis of my Department from 2004 to date is set out as follows

National Economic and Social Development Office

National Economic and Social Council

National Economic and Social Forum

National Centre for Partnership and Performance

I would point out that the National Centre for Partnership and Performance (NCPP) undertook a major Public Awareness Campaign during 2007 and 2008 to promote the Government's National Workplace Strategy. The funding was provided under the Workplace Innovation Fund and was spent in accordance with domestic and EU public procurement procedures.

Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Apart from 2006, when CSO's advertising expenditure included significant Census of Population related advertising (radio/television/national & local press), CSO's expenditure on advertising and publicity comprised:

· recruitment campaigns for CSO specific grades (Statistician/field force personnel).

· awareness campaigns relating to specific surveys or modules of surveys, for example the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) and the Household Budget Survey (HBS).

Since the Government decision in mid-2008 to cut advertising expenditure, CSO has not undertaken any advertising. The recently completed pilot Census test was not advertised and the recent recruitment campaign for HBS field work positions was undertaken through FÁS.