Written answers
Thursday, 29 June 2023
Department of Defence
Departmental Funding
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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172. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the total advertising budget allocated by his Department and agencies in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2023, respectively; the funding provided directly to RTÉ in each year; if he has sought and secured an assurance that none of this funding was rebated via the RTÉ advertising barter account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32003/23]
Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The total Miscellaneous Expenditure - Advertising budget allocated to my Department and agencies in each of the past ten years were as follows
| A.22 MISCELLANEOUS EXPENDITURE (REV) | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A22.2 Advertisements | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 300,000 | 350,000 | 850,000 | 450,000 | 450,000 | 1,105,000 |
The Department makes extensive use of advertising agencies and payments for advertising are made to these agencies rather than direct to the media company. The Department’s financial records do not generally include a breakdown of the amounts paid to the advertising agencies in respect of RTE or other media companies. The Department’s financial records indicate that the only payment direct to RTE in the period was €12,300, paid in November 2013 in respect of a Winter Ready campaign on Aertel.
The Tánaiste is not aware that any of this funding was rebated via the RTÉ advertising barter account but he has asked his officials that further enquiries be made with the advertising agencies in this regard.
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