Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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183. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of each instance of advertorial content commissioned by his Department and agencies under its remit in the past 12 months; the date this content was published; the purpose of this content; the cost of its publication; the publication or platform on which it was published, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10765/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the practice in my Department is not to utilise advertorials as a communications mechanism.

In one instance during the period referenced, my Department paid for a newspaper supplement detailing information in respect of a key Department scheme, namely the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). The information provided was part of a public information campaign, and was consistent with EU Regulations requiring that all BPS applications be made online in 2018.

The supplement in question was published in April 2017, approaching the deadline for applications to the BPS.  It appeared as a dedicated section of the relevant newspaper and was clearly identifiable as part of the Department's information provision in respect of relevant services of significant importance to farmers.

The content was published at a cost of €12,000 (+ VAT). The purpose of the content was to inform farmers on the relevant logistics of the application process and in particular, the benefits in engaging with the process via the applicable online application system.

In relation to the State Bodies under the aegis of this Department, the information requested is an operational matter for the State Bodies themselves. A copy of the question has been forwarded to them for appropriate attention.