Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Taoiseach his plans for the €5 million announced in budget 2018 for the strategic communications unit; and the number of additional staff he plans to recruit in addition to the six who are working there. [43665/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Taoiseach the element that is current and capital in the €5 million announced for the strategic communications unit in his Department in budget 2018. [43666/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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93. To ask the Taoiseach the way in which the strategic communications unit can be cost neutral and save money for his Department as outlined previously and receive €5 million. [43667/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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96. To ask the Taoiseach the locations and the way in which he and his officials plan to spend the €5 million allocated in budget 2018 for the strategic communications unit. [43860/17]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Taoiseach the location savings will be found within his Department to enable the strategic communications unit to be cost neutral. [43861/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 to 93, inclusive, 96 and 97 together.

My Department's budget for 2018 has decreased by 2% compared to 2017. My Department does not have any budget for capital expenditure.

The focus of the new Strategic Communications Unit established in my Department will be to streamline Government communications for citizens, develop and deliver major cross-Government communication campaigns, and improve communications capacity across Government.

The Unit is staffed by existing civil and public servants. There are currently seven staff members attached to the Unit. Further staff will be recruited, including through the assignment of three media and communications assistants who were already in the process of recruitment to fill existing vacancies through an open competition run by the Public Appointments Service.

My Department is also seeking to recruit, on secondment, additional serving civil and public servants with the relevant experience and expertise to work in the Unit.

The Unit’s budget of €5 million is a reallocation of existing resources within my Departments' budget for 2018. The vast bulk of the budget for 2018 is being earmarked for public information campaigns, which will assist in citizens being better aware of Government work and services. As part of the Unit’s streamlining of Government communications, efficiencies in communications spending across Government are expected.

Exchequer savings will be delivered by the Unit in 2018 through efficiencies generated by:

- cross-Governmental collaboration on major campaigns;

- more efficient use of technology platforms;

- consolidated media buying;

- efficient third-party contract management;

- rationalising design projects;

- streamlining participation in national events; and

- increased communication capacity within Departments.

In this way, the Strategic Communications initiative is expected to be cost-neutral in 2018.