Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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589. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount spent by her Department on public advertising and the purchase of external communications and publicity in 2018 by advertising campaign including specific amounts on social media campaigns (details supplied) or other digital platforms; the amount spent on public relations or other communications support in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53572/18]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I am advised that, to date in 2018, my Department has incurred advertising costs of €100,143 in respect of its activities. The majority of these costs relate to newspaper advertising in relation to the publication of statutory notices and other routine matters placed through Sparks Foundry. As previously advised the Department has also engaged D’Arcy Marketing and BigO at a cost of €17,466 and €6,125 respectively to promote awareness of the 2018 European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) campaign for the recruitment of Irish language translators to the institutions of the European Union.

I am also advised that the Culture Ireland Unit has this year engaged Mr. Nik Quaife for the provision of services including a communications strategy for its GB18 programme, to celebrate and renew Ireland’s cultural relationship with Britain. Total expenditure to date in respect of this contract is €51,400.

The Creative Ireland Programme undertakes targeted citizen engagement programmes to get people involved in cultural and creative activity right across the country. I am advised that approximately €400,000 has been allocated from the Creative Ireland Programme Budget in 2018 in relation to public engagement and commissioning digital content. Expenditure to date in this regard is in the order of €177,000. MB Arts International have been engaged on a two year contract to provide a range of contract services including citizen engagement and building partnerships. Expenditure to date in this regard is €58,000.

The Creative Ireland Programme also continued to engage in citizen engagement and public awareness to get people involved in cultural and creative activities.

The Cruinniú na nÓg regional radio and social media cost of €48,780 was for a four week campaign from mid-May to mid-June 2018 to promote the 500 events taking place across the country as part of the inaugural Cruinniu na nÓg day of creativity for children and young people. Three bespoke videos were produced to support and raise awareness of Cruinniú na nÓg - Ireland's new national day of Creativity for children and young people - at a cost of €24,815.

In addition to promoting interest in specific initiatives such as Cruinniú na nÓg, social media is also actively used to support and promote the Creative Ireland Programme generally as well as specific creative endeavours and partner activities. During 2018, specific short videos were also commissioned to promote various aspects or pillars of the Creative Ireland Programme. These included a specially commissioned spoken word piece by Stephen James Smith to mark the publication of 31 Local Authority Culture and Creativity Strategies in September accompanied by five short videos to illustrate the breadth and range of activities supported by the local authority Creative Ireland Programmes; and a video to mark the roll out of the Creative Schools initiative in 150 schools nationwide, in partnership with the Arts Council and the Department of Education and Skills.

All these videos are available at .

A full breakdown of all costs in 2018 in relation to these activities will be published on the Creative Ireland website The following table summarises the above mentioned expenditures.