Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 February 2026
766. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total amount of public funds paid by his Department and by the Irish Prison Service since 2020 in respect of podcasts, audio programmes, or similar broadcasting or digital media outputs; and the annual breakdown of that expenditure, by year. [7669/26]
View answer767. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of podcasts, audio series, or broadcasting projects funded in whole or in part by the Irish Prison Service since 2020; the duration and format of each project; and the total number of episodes or outputs produced under each arrangement. [7670/26]
View answer768. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procurement or commissioning mechanisms used by the Irish Prison Service when engaging external providers to produce podcasts, audio programmes, or digital media content; whether competitive tendering was undertaken in each case; and where competition was not used, the justification for same. [7671/26]
View answer769. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the policy basis under which funding is provided by the Irish Prison Service for podcasts, broadcasting, or audio media projects; the objectives such projects are intended to achieve; and how these initiatives align with current Irish Prison Service strategy and rehabilitation policy. [7672/26]
View answer770. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the governance, oversight, and value-for-money controls applied by the Irish Prison Service to publicly funded podcasts or broadcasting projects; whether performance metrics or deliverables are set in advance; and how compliance is monitored and reported to his Department. [7673/26]
View answer771. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any formal evaluation, impact assessment, or cost-effectiveness review has been conducted in respect of podcasts or broadcasting projects funded by the Irish Prison Service since 2020; and if so, to outline the findings. [7674/26]
View answer787. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total amount of public funds paid by his Department and by the Irish Prison Service to the podcast (details supplied) since 2020; the annual breakdown of those payments; the budgetary subhead under which the expenditure was approved; and the Minister’s rationale for approving this expenditure. [7822/26]
View answer788. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procurement process used by the Irish Prison Service in awarding contracts or payments relating to a podcast (details supplied); whether competitive tendering was undertaken; if not, the justification for dispensing with competition; and the measures in place to ensure value for money and compliance with public spending rules. [7823/26]
View answer789. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the governance and oversight arrangements applied by his Department and the Irish Prison Service to publicly funded media or communications projects; whether performance targets or deliverables were set in respect of a podcast (details supplied); and how compliance with those requirements was assessed. [7824/26]
View answer790. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the policy basis under which funding was provided to a podcast (details supplied); the specific rehabilitative, educational, or engagement objectives the project was intended to achieve; and how those objectives align with current Irish Prison Service strategy. [7825/26]
View answer791. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any formal evaluation, impact assessment, or cost-benefit analysis was conducted in relation to a podcast (details supplied); if so, the findings; and if not, the reasons such evaluation was not undertaken prior to or following the expenditure of public funds. [7826/26]
View answer792. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration what controls, guidance, or criteria are now in place governing the funding of podcasts, media projects, or external communications initiatives by the Irish Prison Service; and whether changes have been introduced following the conclusion of a project (details supplied). [7827/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 766, 767, 768, 769, 770, 771, 787, 788, 789, 790, 791 and 792 together.
It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
