Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Taoiseach the cinemas in which the strategic communications unit, SCU, booked advertisements for the NDP and NPF; and the cost of same. [10955/18]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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75. To ask the Taoiseach the budget for all publicity, advertising and promotional work associated with the national development plan, NDP, and the national planning framework, NPF. [11018/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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88. To ask the Taoiseach the media buying agency secured by his Department's strategic communications unit; and the spend across national and regional local newspapers and or free sheets on the promoting or communicating the NDP and NPF before and since its launch date. [11026/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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89. To ask the Taoiseach the media partnerships secured to communicate Project Ireland 2040; the way they are described; if they are the same with all media outlets; and the cost of each one. [11275/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Taoiseach the specific instructions that were issued to the media buyer by the SCU that all content should be identified as being in partnership with the Government of Ireland or in association with the Government of Ireland; if there were specific instructions or agreements to ensure that placements were similar to articles rather than advertorials; and the reason the phrase advertisement feature was not stated or made clear. [11276/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Taoiseach the person that had responsibility to sign off on communication pieces from the SCU on the NDP and NPF if he or his officials did not have same. [11277/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Taoiseach if the media buyer had a sign off on the content of the communication pieces set in the local and national newspapers in regard to Project Ireland 2040. [11278/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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93. To ask the Taoiseach when media owners were briefed on Project Ireland 2040 and by whom in his Department and otherwise. [11279/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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94. To ask the Taoiseach if a terms of reference, memo of understanding or contract was signed with a media agency or buyers in relation to Project Ireland 2040. [11280/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Taoiseach the budget given to the media agencies on the citizen engagement initiative on Project Ireland 2040 and the NDP and NPF. [11281/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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96. To ask the Taoiseach the instructions the SCU gave the media buyers regarding ensuring that the content of Project Ireland 2040 articles would be aware it was paid content. [11282/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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97. To ask the Taoiseach the way in which his officials and the SCU advised the media buyers regarding localising the content as they saw fit to fit the audience; the parameters which were given; the suggestions which were made; if it was suggested to include experts or local business persons; and the way in which they were approached. [11283/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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98. To ask the Taoiseach the meetings or discussions the SCU would have had with the media buyers in relation to content and to confirm that, while they may not have had final sign off; and if they would have seen the suggestions made before final sign off was received elsewhere. [11284/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Taoiseach the amount of investment the SCU has applied to communicating the NDP and NPF up to now; the plan as agreed to date; and the amount allocated altogether. [11285/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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100. To ask the Taoiseach if the SCU has the citizen engagement campaign under constant review; and if changes will be made. [11286/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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101. To ask the Taoiseach the details of the citizen communication engagement as it applies to cinema; and the cost of same. [11287/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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103. To ask the Taoiseach the number of media agencies involved in the citizen communications engagement on the NDP and NPF. [11290/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Taoiseach if the research his Department undertook through the SCU recently and which is due to be published at the end of Spring was utilised or fed into the citizen engagement initiative on the NDP and NPF; and if it is a totally separate initiative. [11291/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Taoiseach if the SCU had meetings with officials in the Department of Finance in relation to the citizen engagement initiative on Project Ireland 2040. [11293/18]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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112. To ask the Taoiseach the policy of his Department when contracting advertorial type content on the national planning framework or the national development plan regarding the inclusion of negative comment or criticism of the framework or plan in the advertorial type content that was contracted. [11392/18]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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115. To ask the Taoiseach the number of bus shelter advertisements that have been purchased to promote various elements of Project Ireland 2040; the location of these advertisements; the cost to date of these; the reason the advertisement at a location (details supplied) was removed; when it was removed; and the number of other such advertisements that were removed prior to their agreed termination time. [11777/18]

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Taoiseach the amount spent on advertising the Project Ireland 2040 plans in cinemas. [11902/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Taoiseach the media buying agency secured by the SCU; and the amount spent on the promoting or communicating the NDP and NPF before and since its launch date in national, regional, local newspapers and or free sheets. [11986/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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126. To ask the Taoiseach the amount spent by the SCU on promoting advertising and information campaigns on social media sites regarding the NDP and NPF; and the length of time this will continue. [11987/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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127. To ask the Taoiseach if the SCU targeted specific population groups on communicating the NDP and NPF. [11988/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Taoiseach if the SCU had particular discussions on the use of pictures of Government politicians or other types of pictures in the information campaign and articles in the national and regional newspapers. [11990/18]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Taoiseach if content partnership agreements were entered into with broadcast media or social media in respect of Project Ireland 2040 similar to content partnership agreements entered into with print media. [12007/18]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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136. To ask the Taoiseach the costs of the launch of the NDP and NPF in County Sligo; if it included photography; and if this was extra or included. [12056/18]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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149. To ask the Taoiseach the publications, print media or otherwise in which advertisements were placed in relation to the Project Ireland 2040 plan; and the costs associated with each advertisement. [12545/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 75, 88 to 101, inclusive, 103, 104, 106, 112, 115, 120, 125 to 127, inclusive, 129, 135, 136 and 149 together.

Budget

The campaign for Project Ireland 2040 has an indicative budget of €1.5 million. The cost of the launch in Sligo was €45,000, this figure is inclusive of photography costs as this service was provided in-house.

Media Partnerships

The media buying agency used by the Strategic Communications Unit (SCU) is PHD Media.This company was procured through an open procurement competition, which was overseen by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP).

As Project Ireland 2040 is a plan that will impact upon all citizens and future generations, a comprehensive multi-media campaign was put in place to ensure citizens are aware of, and informed about, the plan.

Media content partnerships were entered into with the following media outlets:

- Irish Times

- INM Group

- Examiner Group

- Journal media

- 30 Regional Newspapers

- 28 Local Radio Stations

The campaign is currently under review, with decisions about the implementation of the various elements of the campaign to follow. In that context, there are no current plans to run a radio campaign.

Cost incurred to date for advertorial content in regional and national titles is €312,498 ex vat.

- Specific instruction was issued to the media buyer by the SCU that all content should be identified as being 'In Partnership with the Government of Ireland' or 'In Partnership with Project Ireland 2040, an initiative of the Government of Ireland'. The use of the Government of Ireland logo was also requested by the SCU.This was to ensure that readers knew that the content was paid for.

- There were no instructions or agreements from the SCU to ensure that placements were similar to articles rather than advertorials.

- Each media organisation was provided with a link to the full Project Ireland 2040 plan as well as a pack of content relevant to their particular region.

- The content pack was compiled by the SCU, working with other relevant Government Departments. Nothing was given in the pack that was not otherwise in the overall Project Ireland 2040 plan. Meetings were held with a number of relevant Departments regarding Project Ireland 2040.

- The decision relating to editorial style was entirely a matter for each media organisation.

- The SCU had no input in selecting or contracting any external or third party interviewees. No political spokespeople or Government backbenchers were recommended for interview or for pictures to be included by the SCU.

- Decisions about what organisations and individuals would be asked for comment or pictured were entirely a matter for each media organisation.

- The SCU did not have sign off on the copy produced for the media.

- The media buyer did not have sign off on the copy produced for the media.

- Media owners were briefed on Project Ireland 2040 during the week beginning February 13 2018. The briefings were carried out by a cross Government Department team of Senior Officials.

- No contract was signed with a media agency or buyers in relation to Project Ireland 2040. Media buying was carried out by PHD, company with whom a contract was already in place, following an open procurement process.

Cinema

Cinema advertising relating to Project Ireland 2040 appeared in all screens across the country at a total cost of €80,113 ex vat.

The 60 second video was produced by the creative agency in conjunction with the SCU.

Social Media

Costs incurred to date on social media for Project Ireland 2040 across 3 platforms - Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and other digital spend on digital search and display is €75,660 ex Vat.

Bus Shelter Advertising

The National Transport Authority provided space, free of charge, across the Transport network - (Irish Rail, Dublin Bus and Luas) at various locations between 25 February and 26 March 2018.

My Department had no role in selecting locations or in the removal of any posters before their allocated time.

Research

The research referred to is not yet complete.Therefore, nothing from the Research could be fed into the citizen engagement initiative on Project Ireland 2040.

Behaviour and Attitudes research company were commissioned to conduct primary research to understand how best to communicate the work of Government to citizens, and in particular how to communicate the benefits, services, and entitlements relevant to them. This research will now inform appropriate, relevant and targeted citizen-focused communications to increase public engagement and feedback, and will be published when completed. The research methodology and design phase of the project is complete, and the fieldwork is now due to commence. Results will be published by early summer.