Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 June 2023
167. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications 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. [32006/23]
View answerMy Department uses advertising to promote a range of services, supports and initiatives for people and communities across Ireland.
As the media landscape has evolved over the past number of years, advertising expenditure has grown to address the diverse needs of different audiences, including costs associated with achieving national reach for important public messages. For example, my Department has run a significant national campaign in 2022/23, Reduce Your Use, designed to support every household in Ireland dealing with rising energy costs. In recent months, advertising expenditure has also grown to ensure that we are meeting our Irish language advertising requirements under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021.
My Department does not provide direct funding to RTÉ in relation to advertising. Any advertising with RTÉ is procured via a media buying agency. This is as part of a package which would generally include advertising across a range of channels and platforms.
The table below sets out overall advertising/media buying expenditure in my Department over the last ten years. The table also identifies expenditure on advertising with RTÉ as the information has been made available to my Department by our media agencies.
My Department has sought information from its current, and previous, media agencies whether "barter" has ever been used for any business with RTÉ concerning my Department.
|
TOTAL |
Of which spent with RTÉ |
|
|
2023 (Provisional to 31 May) |
€2,794,436.00 |
€534,056.00 |
|
2022 |
€4,663,786.70 |
€630,269.00 |
|
2021 |
€516,668.44 |
€63,378.27 |
|
2020 |
€107,898.17 |
0 |
|
2019 |
€279,804.87 |
0 |
|
2018 |
€148,101.08 |
Information not available |
|
2017 |
€590,967.92 |
Information not available |
|
2016 |
€153,473.46 |
Information not available |
|
2015 |
€74,688.46 |
Information not available |
|
2014 |
€67,821.23 |
Information not available |
The information requested in relation to the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency. My Department will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested.
