Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount that his Department has spent on social media training and consultancy in each year since 2016. [14566/18]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if training has been delivered in his Department on the use of social media (details supplied); the frequency and cost of this training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14582/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together.

My Department has not arranged specific training in relation to the social media forums mentioned by the Deputy. However, my Department did arrange media skills training for a small number of officials in 2016 and 2017. The following tabular statement gives details of the companies and the expenditure concerned.

Expenditure on media skills training in 2016 and 2017 for officials at the Department of Education & Skills. The course content includes writing press releases, understanding how print media, radio and television programmes operate.