Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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522. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount spent by his Department on public relations advice and media advice since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged for this advice in tabular form. [22274/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not incurred expenditure on external public relations or media advice. From time to time, consultants or companies with a public relations and communications background are commissioned to provide other professional services such as project management, logistics and event management.

Africa Day, which falls on 25 May annually, is the official day of the African Union and marks African unity. The Department of Foreign Affairs has supported a programme of events to celebrate Africa Day since 2006, through financial support and the provision of information and coordination services. In 2020, the Department of Foreign Affairs entered into a contract with the public relations and public affairs agency, DHR Communications, for the provision of professional services for the coordination and communication of Africa Day supports and events for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. This includes planning, managing and executing an information campaign for local authorities and community groups; publicising the range of Africa Day events taking place; updating and maintaining the Africa Day website and social media channels; and facilitating engagement with relevant stakeholders.

Since 2010, DHR Communications has administered the Simon Cumbers Media Fund on behalf of the Department. The Simon Cumbers Media Fund (SCMF) was established by Irish Aid in 2005 to improve the quantity and quality of media coverage of the developing world.  Management of the Fund involves promoting two funding rounds each year, including through national and regional information workshops and targeting of key editorial staff, managing and administering the application process, organising the judging process and providing detailed feedback to all applicants, maintaining and updating the SCMF website and managing the SCMF student competition.

From 2020 to date in 2021, fees incurred in relation to the above mentioned projects are as follows:

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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523. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount spent by his Department on advertising and public messaging in print, broadcast and online since January 2020 to date in 2021; and the companies engaged to assist with placing the advertisements and the companies advertised with in tabular form. [22292/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department engages in public awareness advertising where there is important information that needs to be brought to the attention of citizens.  In 2020 and to date in 2021 some examples of campaigns included the Passport Online and ‘Getting Ireland Brexit Ready’.

With the UK’s departure from the EU at the beginning of 2020 it was important to highlight the substantial and lasting changes for businesses that were to come into effect at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 and into 2021.  This Brexit Communications campaign focused on business “Brexit Readiness”, and encouraging those who trade with, or through, the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland), to take action and avail of information and resources available at gov.ie, to limit the disruption to their business.

Expenditure in 2020 on this public information campaign was €643,862.15and 2021 was €671,202.09.  While the costs of both the 2020 and 2021campaigns were borne by my Department, this is a whole of Government campaign that was prepared and executed in partnership with other Government Departments and Agencies, in particular, the Department of the Taoiseach. Additionally a number of other Government Departments and Agencies ran related and focused sectoral campaigns in their areas of responsibility which were funded directly by those Departments and Agencies.

My Department though its Embassy network has also engaged in promotion of certain other initiatives and projects that relate to Ireland’s foreign policy activities in the areas in which Missions are accredited.

Expenditures are outlined in the table following: