Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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127. To ask the Taoiseach the total cost of all media advertising in his Department for each of the past five years; the efforts his Department is making to ensure that local media both print and radio are being supported as well as national media by his Department's budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39118/13]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The table below details expenditure by my Department on Media Advertising from 2009 to end of August 2013.

Amount spent on Media Advertising from 2009 to Date, August 2013

* These amounts were recouped from the Change Management fund, Department of Finance

Expenditure by my Department relates to telephone directories as well as notices in newspapers in respect of the National Day of Commemoration and other such events. In 2011 the majority of expenditure related to public information notices for the public event held during the visit of President Barack Obama.

The Department of the Taoiseach's media advertisements relate largely to national events and therefore the majority of the advertising requires use of national media. As part of the Government's information campaign on the Stability Treaty referendum, information advertisements were placed on local radio and with local newspapers in May 2012. These were considered important outlets to ensure awareness and understanding across the country. The Department also managed media and press aspects of the 2013 EU Presidency and maintained strong contact with local/regional media, facilitating journalists at all high-level EU Presidency meetings. In addition, in May and June 2013 the Department facilitated a large number of local newspapers with profiles of Irish officials from their areas who held key roles in the Presidency in Brussels.