Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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610. To ask the Minister for Health the total costs incurred by his Department arising from the placing of advertisements with the national broadcaster, RTÉ, in any format, for each of the years 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52166/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Please see below in tabular format total media spend with RTÉ from the Department of Health from 2016 to 2023 (YTD).

The Department works to select the most appropriate advertising mediums for the target audience and message for each campaign focused on providing effective advertising and good value for money. It is important to note that the figures laid out above include the period with expenditure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Department's COVID-19 pandemic communications included a comprehensive advertising campaign across both traditional and online media channels to ensure information reached the widest public audience possible ensuring the public were informed of the latest public health guidance.

The Department's response to the pandemic also included Healthy Ireland communications focused on promoting the Health and Wellbeing of the public both during the pandemic and on an ongoing basis. Healthy Ireland communications includes comprehensive advertising campaigns across both traditional and online media channels to ensure information reaches the widest public audience possible aimed at raising public awareness of the benefits of healthy eating, increasing physical activity, and sustaining mental wellbeing. This included an obesity prevention campaign aimed at younger adults outlining the benefits of healthy eating, physical activity, better sleep and managing stress. This also included the “Hello Again World” social connections campaign aimed at older adults initially developed in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic when older adults were asked to cocoon. This campaign highlighted importance of reengaging and building social connection and in a second burst is linking people to new online resources on gov.ie/socialconnections. These resources aim to raise awareness of the benefits of social connections and encourage people to build strong social connections with simple accessible actions.

The Department’s communication also include advertising to raise awareness for landmark new initiatives. Communications included advertising to raise awareness as the free contraception scheme and extensions of the scheme. They also included the first Irish national Menopause Awareness campaign which guided people towards gov.ie/menopause, which provides trusted information for anyone impacted by menopause in Ireland. They also included advertising to raise awareness of the expansion of the GP Visit Card scheme to approximately 500,000 more people in 2023 encouraging registration for under 8’s GP visit cards for children aged 6 and 7, plus applications for means tested GP visit cards with increase financial thresholds.