Ads firm got €2.7m in State contracts

Brindley Advertising was the main winner when Government departments awarded public relations, advertising and marketing contracts last year.

As well as holding the Government contract for the advertising of statutory and official notifications in the print media, the Dublin-based firm won several other key contracts.

Brindley Advertising received more than €2.47 million from Government departments, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act.

However, some Government departments did not include payments under the central Government contract, so the figure could be much higher. The firm, established almost 50 years ago, is based in Mount Street and has annual billings of €15 million.

It won five contracts from the Department of Justice, worth nearly €600,000. A €267,601 contract also involved Trimedia. This was for an advertising campaign to publicise the European Year of People with Disabilities.

The Department of Justice spent almost €136,000 on Know Racism - the National Anti-Racism Awareness Programme.

Edelman Public Relations was paid €70,483 for public relations work while Irish International Advertising Agency received €65,000 for the anti-racism advertising campaign.

Zenith Media won a €237,129 contract to promote the work of the National Family Friendly Committee while Cawley Nea won a €149,109 contract to publicise the National Age Card scheme. The Department of Justice paid €25,372 to outside companies for news monitoring services last year. QMP D'Arcy won one of the largest contracts in 2002 when the Department of Agriculture commissioned it to provide a full advertising service to cater for all media for a three-year period. The Department of Agriculture expects to spend about €1.9 million (including VAT), during this time.

Drury Communications was a major beneficiary of Government contracts last year, mainly because of its success in winning a €1.27 million contract for an environmental awareness campaign.

A second Drury contract - for the National Spatial Strategy campaign - was awarded before 2002 but was extended three times last year to the tune of more than €150,000. Carr Communications won several key contracts last year, worth €499,573. Its biggest contract was for €308,528, for the organisation of a campaign to highlight the new Personal Public Service (PPS) number which replaces the old RSI number.

It also received €133,045 for a publicity campaign on electronic voting. The Department of Health paid €14,063 to the firm for the launch of the Forum on Fluoridation report last September. Carr Communications also received €23,225 for event management and public relations for Dáil na nÓg.

Meanwhile, Gibney Communications received €156,129 for public relations work on the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The Department of Education paid €38,444 to the public relations consultancy Dennehy Associates last year. The company was employed "to assist the Department in dealing with the media on educational issues", according to a Department of Education spokeswoman.

The Taoiseach's own department did not award any contracts for public relations, marketing or advertising last year. However, contracts were awarded by bodies coming under the aegis of the department. These include the National Forum on Europe, which paid €38,143 to Keating and Associates and €10,326 to Verve Marketing, for PR and marketing work.

Three media-related contracts were awarded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, all connected with the AIDS epidemic. AIM Media Specialists received a €8,599 fee for buying advertising space to highlight the HIV/AIDS pandemic in developing countries.