Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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830. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total cost of public relations-communications to his Department in 2013; the spend to date in 2014; the total estimate for 2014; the corresponding figures for each agency funded from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31524/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department and agencies under the remit of my Department engage with the public through a wide variety of means including electronic media, the national press and day to day engagement with those coming in contact with the Department and its agencies. Many of these engagements are not amenable to financial quantification.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs website is the primary resource in providing information for use by the public and an essential communications tool for the department. It costs €1,948.32 per quarter to maintain. The Department also funded the design and build of the Comhairle na nÓg website with expenditure of €17,589 in 2013.

My Department engaged MKC Communications to assist with information and communications initiatives for the Department. The cost in 2013 for these services was €7,244.70. In general such services are engaged only as needs arise and where it is felt their professional expertise can be of assistance to my Department. No other external public relations companies were engaged within the given timeframe.

My Department and its agencies may, from time to time, provide public information through other media, where a requirement for alternative platforms of information is required. The Department occasionally uses free tools, Twitter and YouTube, to communicate with the public. While not specifically public relations, the Department will use electronic and print media to publicise access to grants and other schemes available through this Department and/or bodies under its aegis.

My Department contributed €10,000 in 2014 to support the Irish Times supplement published on 25 April, 2014 that was created by the Ombudsman for Children to mark 10 years of the operation of that Office and sought to increase public awareness on issues around children’s rights.

I am requesting the agencies under the remit of my Department, namely, the Child and Family Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Ombudsman for Children's Office to provide the relevant information to the Deputy as soon as it is compiled.