Millions spent on advertising and consultants despite cutbacks pledge

GOVERNMENT departments and agencies will spend at least €30 million on advertising in 2008, despite a much-hyped promise to cut spending on it and on consultants in a bid to control the massive budget deficit.

The commitment to cut back on self-promoting advertising and consultancy is nothing but a hollow promise.

Green party ministers in particular have excelled themselves in wasting public money with the two departments under their control accounting for one-third of the total advertising spend, at €10.5m. While some of the advertising spend can be justified, such as information campaigns on tax and social welfare entitlements, it is clear that millions of tax euro have been wasted on campaigns that were either unnecessary or unsuccessful, or ideologically-driven.

These included:

* The cash-strapped HSE, which is currently closing wards and laying off staff, spent €4.7m on advertising across a range of areas.

* A six-figure outdoor advertising campaign co-funded by the Department of the Environment and local authorities encouraging people not to water their lawn during the wettest summer in decades.

* €2.9m billboard and broadcast campaign on Transport 21, largely for projects which haven’t even been built.

* €120,000 for an advertising campaign on the back of buses promoting work-life balance.

In the midst of a budgetary crisis, ministers are still throwing away our taxes. Hardworking citizens should not have their money squandered on expensive nanny-state advertising campaigns telling us how to run our lives.

There should be a full review of all advertising expenditure in 2008 to find out whether these campaigns achieved their objectives and represented value for money for taxpayers.

Ministers who sign off on expensive advertising campaigns should be held accountable for the outcome.

Cllr Tim Lombard

Granig

Minane Bridge

Co Cork