Written answers
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Departmental Expenditure
10:00 pm
Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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Question 62: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of money spent by him on public relations companies each year since 2006. [40180/11]
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). Details of payments made to public relations companies since 2006 are provided as follows. My Department commissions external public relation companies only where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department. The commissioning of these contracts is in full compliance with national and EU procurement regulations concerning tendering requirements.
Vote 28 – Hiring of Public Relations companies 2006-date
| Year | Organisation | Detail of project | Amount € |
| 2008 | The Communications Clinic | Action Plan under the Communicating Europe Initiative | €41,000 |
| 2009 | The Communications Clinic | Action Plan under the Communicating Europe Initiative | €6,300 |
Vote 29 – Hiring of Public Relations companies 2006-date
| Year | Organisation | Detail of project | Amount € |
| 2006 | Drury Communications | Advice on preparation of a public information strategy for the Government's aid programme. | €62,464 |
| 2007 | Bannon & Bannon | Communications and strategic advice on Hunger Task Force information promotion | €5,082 |
| 2008 | DHR Communications | Planning/ Management/coordination of Africa Day events | €34,485 |
| 2009 | DHR Communications | Planning/Management/coordination of Africa Day events | €63,058 |
| 2010 | DHR Communications | Planning/Management/coordination of Africa Day events | €56,023 |
| 2010 | DHR Communications | Management of Simon Cumbers Media Fund | €31,363 |
| 2011 | DHR Communications | Planning/Management/coordination of Africa Day events | €6,806 |
| 2011 | DHR Communications | Management of Simon Cumbers Media Fund | €49,302 |
Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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Question 63: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of money spent by him on advertising with international, national and local media for each year since 2006. [40196/11]
Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My Department is responsible for two votes - Votes 28 (Foreign Affairs) and 29 (International cooperation – Irish Aid). Advertising undertaken by my Department typically includes: advisory notices on public opening hours over holiday periods, changes in passport application procedures and fees, and public information notices relating to significant developments in the European Union (such as the Lisbon Treaty) or in regard to Ireland's Official Development Assistance programme, Irish Aid. While much of this material is now placed on the Department's website, a certain level of advertising continues to be necessary in order to reach all of our customers, particularly in relation to important passport and consular services. Details of advertising expenditure per year for both votes are included in the table below.
| Advertising | ||
| Vote 28 | Vote 29 | |
| 2006 | 286,078 | 17,042 |
| 2007 | 323,250 | 27,827 |
| 2008 | 388,746 | 26,994 |
| 2009 | 231,619 | 35,689 |
| 2010 | 160,245 | 58,021 |
| 2011 to date | 129,093 | 16,437 |
In addition to this, the network of Irish diplomatic missions abroad occasionally incurs some limited expenditure on local advertising and public relations. This would include advertising of Embassy opening hours, changes to consular services, promotion of Irish cultural events, etc.
I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on such expenditure, and as with all expenditure appropriate financial controls and regulations are in place.
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