Written answers

Tuesday, 25 January 2011

Department of Finance

Departmental Expenditure

8:00 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Finance if agencies, boards, quangos or other bodies within the remit of his Department carried out advertising campaigns during the course of 2010 to promote policies or programmes being implemented by those agencies or by his Department; the details of the campaign or relevant programme; the cost of advertising in publications, broadcast advertising, online advertising, outdoor advertising and other forms of advertising and consultancy or production costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3429/11]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has carried out, during the course of 2010, advertising campaigns to promote any policies or programmes being implemented by his Department; the name of the campaigns or programmes; the total cost of advertising in publications, broadcast advertising, outdoor advertising and consultancy or production costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3444/11]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.

No payments were made during the course of 2010 in respect of advertising campaigns to promote any policies or programmes being implemented by my Department. The detail in relation to agencies, boards, quangos or other bodies within the remit of my Department is set out below.

Special EU Programmes Body

CostDescription
€3,000 (plus VAT)Advertorial Placement in Business Scotland Magazine – Focus on projects supported under the INTERREG IVA Programme
€3,500 (plus VAT)Advertorial Placement in Regional Review Magazine – Focus on PEACE III Programme and 'Managing Diversity in EU Cities and Regions' at the Open Days event, Brussels
€6,600 (plus VAT)Public Notices – PEACE III Funding Calls
€20,637 (plus VAT)Public Notices – INTERREG IVA Funding Calls

In accordance with European Commission Regulation (EC) 1828 2006, the SEUPB is required to implement a Communications Plan. This plan sets out in detail how the SEUPB shall provide information on and publicise the operations of the European Territorial Co-operation Programmes PEACE III and INTERREG IVA in the 2007-2013 Programming Period. In 2010, the SEUPB had a total budget of €227,000 to implement activities as outlined within the Communications Plan.

Part of the Communications Plan budget in 2010 was allocated towards the placement of advertorials. Such placements were commissioned on an ad hoc basis throughout the year within specialist publications that would not normally accept press releases. Advertorials placed in 2010 are outlined in Table 1 below.

In addition, the SEUPB is also required to place Public Notices in a range of publications to announce the opening and closing of calls for applications under each of the Programmes. Details of such Public Notices are also provided in Table 1 below.

The costs outlined above are funded jointly between the Department of Finance, the European Commission and the Department of Finance and Personnel (NI).

NTMA umbrella

An Post and the Prize Bond Company Limited are agents of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) for the sale of the range of State Savings products.

In 2010 An Post and the Prize Bond Company incurred the following advertising costs:

TOTAL in 2010€1,243,000€559,000€1,802,000
ConsultancyTotal
Cost ofand ProductionExpenditure
Details of the campaignAdvertisingcostsin 2010
Launch of new 10 year National Solidarity Bond€608,000€213,000€821,000
Promotion of Prize Bond Sales€635,000€346,000€981,000

Office of the Revenue Commissioners

I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the following table contains the details requested by the Deputy.

CampaignDetails of the campaignCost of Advertising (incl. VAT)Production Costs (incl. VAT)
P35 DeadlineAdvising employers of P35 deadline. National press and TV; local, national and urban radio; relevant business publications. Conducted over a 2 week period.€193,150€8,894
Pay & File DeadlineAdvising taxpayers of income tax deadline. National press and TV; local, national and urban radio; relevant business publications. Conducted over a 4 month period.€358,777€15,774
Cigarette Smuggling Awareness RaisingRaising awareness of free phone number for reporting of the sale/importation of illegal cigarettes. National press; select local press; relevant trade publications.€28,819€1,428
Capital Acquisitions Tax ChangesAlerting individuals of times/dates of seminars regarding changes to CAT and probate. Local and national press over a 1 month period.€18,409€750
VAT ChangesAdvising of changes to VAT treatment of public bodies and liaison arrangements available. National press.€7,974€224
College GrantsAdvising prospective 3rd level students and their parents that the easiest way to get the P21 needed to apply for college grant is by using PAYE Anytime. Local press.€51,861€399
New Vehicle Registration ProceduresAdvising motorists of the appointment of the NCTS to carry out vehicle registration functions. National press; web banner ads and relevant motoring publications.€56,099€589
Consultation on Mandatory Disclosure of Certain TransactionsInviting the public to comment on a consultation document and advising the publication of draft regulations and guidance notes. National press.€8,751€224
Consultation on the Extension of Mandatory eFilingInviting the public to comment on a consultation document on this topic. National press.€12,612€224
Budget ChangesRaising awareness of: importance of registering for ROS for speed of update of Payroll details; the Budget Free-phone number; information available on revenue.ie regarding budget changes.€123,062*€3,358*
Importation Administrative ChangesReminder to traders that they must use new system from 1 January. National press.€15,847€0
CGT deadlineRaising awareness of CGT payment deadline. National press.€21,092€0
MiscellaneousLocal office closure, change of opening hours of local office, publication of statutory instruments, etc. National press.€22,691€387
Total€919,141€32,250

*2010 only

The Office of the Ombudsman, the Valuation Office, the State Laboratory, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Office of the Appeals Commissioner, the Public Appointments Service, the Commission for Public Service Appointments and the National Asset Management Agency did not make any such payments in 2010.

In the time available the Office of Public Works was unable to provide the information requested. The information is being collated by that office and will issue directly to the Deputy.

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