Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Taoiseach further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, of 27 September 2017, the status of the commitment in his Department's strategy statement to examine the balance of power and responsibility between the Government and the Civil Service; and if he will elaborate on the operating principles of the strategic communications unit. [43573/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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78. To ask the Taoiseach if the director and-or other members of the strategic communications unit have been meeting political advisers in each Department; if his attention has been drawn to the aim of these meetings; if he has received reports from these meetings; and if the Government press secretary has also attended. [43574/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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79. To ask the Taoiseach the position regarding the research his Department has undertaken on existing communication activities, including the range of campaigns brands and channels of communication used by different agencies as referred to in a reply to a previous parliamentary question; and if this research will be published. [43575/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Taoiseach if advice from outside agencies or consultancies had been sought by the strategic communications unit before it was set up or since it has been set up. [43576/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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81. To ask the Taoiseach if the strategic communications unit will provide advice on the way to deal with crisis communications; and if it is responsible for setting a positive news agenda. [43577/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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82. To ask the Taoiseach the financial allocation to the strategic communications unit or another unit in the communications in addition to the merrionstreet.ie website or the GIS in his Department that is spent on promoting adverts or clips on a website and social media outlet (details supplied) or other social media outlets; and the amount that has been spent on a monthly basis to date in 2017. [43628/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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83. To ask the Taoiseach his plans to place his speeches on either his Department's website or merrionstreet.ie. [43629/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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84. To ask the Taoiseach the position regarding his weekly messages on social media. [43630/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Taoiseach if the merrionstreet.ie website is being revamped or changed; and the cost of same. [43859/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Taoiseach if his Department is receiving external advice on a policy or communication issue. [43863/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 to 84, inclusive, 95 and 99 together.

The Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) will be integrated within the Civil Service structures in my Department, with the Director of the Unit reporting to the Secretary General of the Department. The Civil Service Management Board (CSMB) has decided to establish a sub group of the CSMB which will act as a high-level working group. It will be chaired by the Secretary General to the Government and the membership will be finalised shortly.

In addition, responsibility for communications will be assigned to an Assistant Secretary in every Government Department, who will work collectively to ensure cross Government cooperation.

This initiative will be progressed as part of the Civil Service renewal programme.

This oversight is in line with my Department's Strategy Statement, its core values being: A deep-rooted public service ethos of independence, integrity, impartiality, equality, fairness and respect and a culture of accountability, efficiency and value for money.

These core principles will inform how the Unit will conduct its business. Its task will be to simplify Government communications and to increase efficiencies across the public sector when dealing with the Irish public.

The Director of the Unit accompanied, by staff from the Strategic Communications Unit have been attending a series of meetings with Ministers, Secretary Generals and officials in Departments. The purpose of these meetings is to help improve effectiveness, efficiency and cross-Government collaboration in order to foster and develop a whole of Government approach to communications. s part of this work, a network of communications officials across Government will be developed to share best practice. This network of communications professionals will comprise the communications personnel within the civil and public service and will not include politically appointed personnel.

The Government Press Secretary has not attended these meetings. The staff of the SCU have been instructed not to attend meetings of political advisors. All meetings must include civil servants.

The Government wants to make it easier for members of the public to understand its work and the services it provides. Two projects are underway to improve this as part of the work of the Strategic Communications Unit, an audit of current Government communications and a survey to help us learn more about public awareness and understanding of Government services.

Working with the Office of Government Procurement, a request for the services of a company to complete this survey has been issued. This work will inform the future output of the Unit. The findings of this survey and the audit of Government communications will be published on completion.

No advice from outside agencies or consultancies has been sought by the Strategic Communications Unit to date. My Department has issued requests for tender for other creative services. These are being procured in accordance with standard procurement rules.

The Strategic Communications Unit has no role in setting a positive news agenda, its remit is to inform the public of the work of Government in a factual and non partisan manner.

As outlined in the Budget a total of €5 million was allocated to the Strategic Communications Unit for 2018, which will be funded through the Department of the Taoiseach Vote which actually saw a slight decrease overall in Budget 2018. The Strategic Communications Unit intends to leverage opportunities for building the effectiveness of existing communications capacity across Government, as well as rationalisation. A key part of the modernisation of Government communications will be greater use of digital media. For example, recent initiatives such as the promotion of the whereyourmoneygoes.gov.ie website and promotion of online videos relating to Ireland's Rugby World Cup Bid, information about going back to school and the Budget and Capital Plan cost a total of approximately €19,000.

There has been no change to the practice of publishing speeches to the Department's websites, which are up to date. There are currently no plans for changes to Merrionstreet.ie.

The Taoiseach's weekly messages on social media are generally recorded by a member of his political staff.