Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 657: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number and cost of each website that falls under his remit; the number of unique visitors per month to each website; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48209/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department currently maintains three external websites which provide information and access to online services for over 180,000 unique visitors each month: · www.welfare.ie · www.groireland.ie · www.nationalpensionsframework.ie The Social Welfare Appeals Office operates independently of the Department and provides an independent appeals service. It maintains the website www.socialwelfareappeals.ie .

Agencies under the remit of the Department maintain another seven websites. The Citizens Information Board maintains the following five websites: · www.citizensinformation.ie · www.citizensinformationboard.ie · www.assistireland.ie · www.losingyourjob.ie (launched March 2009) · www.keepingyourhome.ie (launched January 2010) The Pensions Board maintains the website www.pensionsboard.ie. The Office of the Pensions Ombudsman website www.pensionsombudsman.ie is supported and maintained by the Department's staff.

Details of the expenditure on each website are set out in the attached table and, where available, the average monthly unique visitors are included.

The development and ongoing maintenance of these websites is subject to the Department's project governance provisions and in the case of websites for agencies under the remit of the Department, are also subject to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.

I am satisfied that the governance processes in place ensure value for money and adherence to security, data protection and accessibility standards and that these websites provide a high quality resource for customers.