Dempsey 'wasting' €2.9m on transport adverts
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TRANSPORT Minister Noel Dempsey is spending almost €3m on advertising the Transport 21 programme in newspapers, TV and radio -- even though many of the key projects have been delayed.
He has also spent €70,000 on designing a new logo for the €34bn programme, despite the fact that the existing logo was developed in-house for free.
It comes after Environment Minister John Gormley was criticised for spending €15m on a climate change advertising campaign -- compared to just €5m on the home insulation programme.
Fine Gael transport spokesman Fergus O'Dowd said the €2.9m spent on this year's advertising campaign for the Transport 21 programme was a "waste of money".
Ten buses
"A double decker bus costs €280,000. So the money being spent this year alone would buy 10 more buses -- for the duration of this advertising campaign," he said.
He also raised concerns about Mr Dempsey's claim that the advertising campaign was necessary for the duration of the Transport 21 programme.
"If a minimum of the same expenditure is set aside every year until 2015, when the construction projects are due to be finished, this equates to €20.3m," Mr O'Dowd said.
The Transport 21 plan was launched in November 2005 but Mr Dempsey has already admitted that most of the key projects will not meet their target completion dates.
These include: Metro North (2013, instead of 2012); the Cork to Midleton rail service (2009, instead of 2008); phase one of the Navan rail link (2009, instead of 2010); the M3 motorway (2010, instead of 2009); and the Limerick Southern Ring Road (2010, instead of 2009).
Mr Dempsey was also criticised by Fine Gael Meath West TD Damien English for spending €70,000 on a new logo for the Transport 21 programme, when the original had been developed in-house for free.
"That's €70,000 down the drain for the change of text and the change of logo. It's just wasting taxpayers' money," he said.
The new logo, with the slogan "Connecting Communities Promoting Prosperity", was designed by the international branding agency Design Bridge.
Mr Dempsey said the logo and the extensive advertising campaign were necessary because market research showed that awareness levels of the programme were low.
"Given the scale and reach of Transport 21, I consider it essential that the general public and all interested parties are made aware of the programme and of the many transport improvements that are already being delivered," he said.
But Mr English said that Mr Dempsey was also using the logo and the advertisements to promote a Government programme that was already behind schedule.
"The only point of telling people things are happening is to make the Government look good. It's no benefit to anybody but the politicians," he said.
Mr English suggested that school children could have been used to design a new logo by running a competition, for a fraction of the same price.
A spokesman for Mr Dempsey defended the new logo, saying the "original logo was not considered strong or clear enough to communicate the benefits of Transport 21".
Editorial comment -- Page 24
- Michael Brennan
