Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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218. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount spent by his Department on third party public relations advice, communications advice, online advertising and public awareness campaigns to date in 2018, by month and company engaged in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39637/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department did not incur any expenditure on external public relations or communications advice to date in 2018.

The Department did incur expenditure on advertising in 2018, however, it was not related to the categories outlined in your enquiry.

In March 2018, a sum of €4,500.00 was expended on a public awareness video funded by the European Social Fund Managing Authority, which is within my Department, for the National Association of Youthreach Coordinators. Youthreach is co-funded by the Government of Ireland, the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020. The video was show at a conference held to mark the 60^thanniversary of the ESF and was subsequently communicated through social media channels. It is available to view on the ESF website,www.esf.ie.This is in line with Article 115 of the Common Provisions Regulation (EU) 1303/2013 which requires that Member States and managing authorities undertake activities to publicise “the role and achievements of cohesion policy and of the Funds through information and communications actions”.