Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the costs associated with the Getting Ireland Brexit Ready forums in tabular form including events due to take place over the coming weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49092/18]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the advertisement agencies that have been secured by his Department to promote the Getting Ireland Brexit Ready forums and other Government Brexit-related promotional material across print media, broadcast media and online media; the costs associated with the use of such agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49093/18]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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122. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the media budget allocated for promoting Government-related Brexit events and supports; the budget allocated for print media, broadcast media and online media, including publically funded and commercial media in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49094/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 to 122, inclusive, together.

Since my appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in June 2017, I have overseen and co-ordinated a sustained intensification of Brexit preparedness and contingency planning across Government.

As part of these efforts, the Government is organising “Getting Ireland Brexit Ready” public information events around Ireland to inform and advise about Brexit preparedness and the range of support measures and resources that the Government has put in place.

These events bring together over a dozen Agencies and their parent Departments – the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport - under one roof to inform and advise both citizens and businesses about Brexit preparedness and the range of support measures and resources the Government has put in place.

Five Getting Ireland Brexit Ready workshop events have so far taken place in Cork on 5 October, Galway on 12 October, Monaghan 19 October, Dublin on 25 October, and Limerick on 23 November. Having participated at each event, I am pleased to confirm that all workshops attracted a strong attendance with over 2000 businesses attending to date. The Workshops also attracted significant domestic and international (in particular UK) media coverage which afforded an opportunity to highlight Ireland’s overall approach and specific concerns in relation to Brexit.

The positive impact of the roadshows is reflected in an increase in interactions with the Brexit supports offered by State agencies. For example, Enterprise Ireland has recorded a 92% increase in Brexit Scorecard completions from September to October, as well as a 62% increase in interactions on its website. Similarly, Fáilte Ireland noted a 24% increase in views to their Brexit webpages subsequent to the October events, as well as an uptrend averaging 83% in the number of interactions on their Get Brexit Ready diagnostic tool.

In organising each workshop, every effort has been made to ensure that costs are kept to the necessary minimum, and that they reflect the best value for money. Costs that have arisen directly so far in connection with the workshop events and for which invoices / confirmed costings have been received are as follows:

One further Getting Ireland Brexit Ready workshop event will take place in Letterkenny, Donegal on 30 November. I am confident that this will likewise be in high demand and that attendees will gain many useful insights and practical advice on steps which they and their businesses can take to help prepare for the impact of Brexit. Other Brexit preparedness-related public information activities and events continue to be organised by State Agencies and Departments across Ireland and relevant details on these can be found at the new dedicated Brexit events page on the dfa.ie/brexit website.

My Department engages in advertising and public awareness campaigns where there is important information that needs to be brought to the attention of citizens.

A public information campaign to promote awareness of Government-wide supports and resources that are available to assist with Brexit preparedness is one such example of this.

As detailed above, my Department is coordinating a Government-wide ‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready Campaign’ which I and Ministers Humphreys and Creed launched together on 20 September. This campaign has updated citizens, communities and businesses about Brexit preparedness and support measures that are available as well as public workshop events which are being held throughout October and November. A programme of awareness raising via web and social media platforms and radio and print media advertising also took place.

The Government Brexit Update email service and the Getting Ireland Brexit Ready public information campaign forms part of the Government’s overall strategy to keep the Irish public fully informed and up-to date on the implications and challenges of Brexit.

The Update is issuing on a regular basis via a commercial provider and provides information on latest developments in the ongoing Brexit negotiations, on the latest available research publications and on engagement at Government level. It also highlights the range of business supports that are available through the various Government Departments and State agencies.

Advertising costs that have arisen directly so far in connection with the ‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready’ campaign and for which invoices / confirmed costings have been received are as follows: