Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Public Accounts Committee

Comptroller and Auditor General 2016 Report
Chapter 16: Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 17: Management of Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 18: Department Reviews of welfare Schemes, Social Welfare Appeals Process, Social Insurance Fund

9:00 am

Mr. John McKeon:

The total cost was about €163,000. A spend of €163,000 on a communications campaign is actually very low by comparison with the communication campaigns of other Departments or other commercial organisations. It was a short and small campaign. It was very cost effective and it stimulated a saving which we can directly attribute of €1 million. It is not to be sniffed at.

I think everybody would take the point about the messaging and that is something we will review in the future.