Written answers
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Department of An Taoiseach
Departmental Expenditure
Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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185. To ask the Taoiseach for a breakdown of all spending on external communications and media, by company, including the amount spent and purpose of spend, in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [61222/25]
Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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The below tables outline the spending on external communications and media support by the Department of the Taoiseach in the last five years.
Company name | Subject matter | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Q4 Public Relations Ltd | Support and advice in the development of effective public communication and engagement strategies [May – December 2023] | Nil | Nil | Nil | €7,488 | €11,277 | Nil |
Zero-G | Strategic design services for the communication of major cross-Government programmes | €4,356 | Nil | Nil | €42,804 | €32,287 | €46,061 |
Citizens’ Assemblies and the COVID-19 Evaluation operate independently of the Department of the Taoiseach but are funded from the Department’s Vote.
The Citizens’ Assemblies engaged Q4 Public Relations to provide media liaison and communication services. This work included raising public awareness of the Assemblies' work; supporting communication and media outreach; and providing a press office service to engage with the media to respond to queries on the work of the Assemblies. Expenditure by the Citizens' Assemblies on advice and support on media engagement provided by Q4 Public Relations during the period in question is set out in the table below.
Year | Expenditure |
|---|---|
2020 | €18,465 |
2021 | €15,059 |
2022 | €43,753 |
2023 | €95,765 |
2024 | €8,971 |
2025 | Nil |
In 2025, the COVID-19 Evaluation engaged Springboard Communications to provide media liaison and communications support services. Expenditure to date by the COVID-19 Evaluation on advice and support on media engagement provided by Springboard Communications is set out in the table below.
Year | Expenditure |
|---|---|
2025 | €28,039 |
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