Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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127. To ask the Taoiseach the amount expended on advertising and promotion in his Department and all agencies under the remit of his Department in 2022 and in January 2023. [8694/23]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of the Taoiseach incurred expenditure of €1,784,926 on advertising in 2022. This figure is provisional until the 2022 accounts are finalised.

The vast majority of that spend, amounting to €1,765,805, related to COVID-19 public information campaigns undertaken in the first half of 2022 as part of the Government’s coordinated approach to COVID-19 public health communications. The remainder relates to other advertising of Judicial and DPP appointments, state events, national weather events and a public survey relating to the Well-being Framework for Ireland.

The National Economic and Social Council, which is the only agency under the remit of the Department of the Taoiseach, recorded no expenditure on advertising or promotion in the period in question.

In addition, the Citizens’ Assemblies incurred expenditure of €43,754 in 2022 and €26,634 in January 2023 (payment related to services incurred in 2022) on public awareness of the Assembly's work and media outreach.