Ms Sarah O'Connor:

It might be helpful if I give a specific example of a campaign to show the Deputy a little bit about the direction we have been moving in the past two or three years - or probably even longer; it has been a long journey. The overarching strategic piece that is useful for members to know about is that it is about going to the right channel or right place to find the right audience with the right message. For us, that is all guided and informed by an evidence-led approach, best communications practice and making sure that we know what is best and we follow that advice.

For example, a specific campaign we have run in the course of the past three years – it is unlikely, and I hope I do not cause offence to any members, that it may be top of their priority list – is the implications of losing the opportunity of going on a J1 visa to the US. Building on what my colleague said, that has run on digital channels where we know young people are engaged and interested. It is possible none of us in the room has seen it, but it will have followed people around on the Internet, social media and digital platforms where they are, where they exist and where their lives are. In addition, it follows them at the right point in the year. Applications open in September and close in February. We do that in partnership with USIT. We make sure people see it on TikTok, YouTube Music and all of those kind of channels. That is what has been guiding some of our work.

As my colleague mentioned, the consequence piece is very important. The moral argument is brilliant and it is important we continue to make it every opportunity we can. However, it is not the only button that we can press to influence behaviour change. Therefore, for example, we are in fairly deep and progressed discussions with the Department about a campaign surrounding the concept of disqualified drivers. What is the real-life impact of losing your licence? Potentially, you cannot go out on a date. Perhaps you would have to be dropped to school or college by you mom, dad, brother or other family members. You are totally dependent. That sense of freedom and independence that is very important to young people can be impaired. Members should expect to see that campaign. We will have that campaign produced. It will be out there and it will be live. Again, it is very informed by where to go. It is video-on-demand. It is not necessarily on RTÉ between the news break or "The Late Late Show" if the young person is not watching. It goes to where they exist in their lives and opens that sphere of influence. That is the driving force and the strategic imperative that we are bringing to bear to the communications.

I can understand it can make people feel uncomfortable. For example, “Well if I did not see the ad, is it out there?” However, if the ad is not for you, we will not spend money on putting the ad on television where it may be quite expensive. We will spend it trawling around after somebody on TikTok so they may see that particular engagement. Somebody said to me, “Your recent campaign was brilliant last weekend.” I was thinking that we had not done a piece of PR or media last weekend, so what was he talking about. He had seen our piece about older pedestrians. He was a younger male road-user. He had seen it seven times over the course of a particular weekend on different channels and it knew where to find him. It is that kind of piece of deft work we are trying to do.