John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent by her Department on advertising the public services card in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21754/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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SAFE Level 2 (SAFE 2) registration, used by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, allows a person to verify their identity once, not just for access to services provided by my Department but also for an increasing number of public services provided by other State agencies. Once a person is registered to SAFE 2, they can be issued with a Public Services Card (PSC).

There was no expenditure or public information campaign dedicated to advertising the Public Services Card in 2017.

In 2017, my Department produced an explainer video on the SAFE Level 2 Registration and the Public Services Card. This video, made available on the Department’s website, has attracted over 41,000 views to date. The total cost of production of the video was €10,061.40 (incl. VAT).

Also in October 2017, the Department created a detailed seventy three page document titled “Comprehensive Guide to SAFE Registration and the Public Services Card”, with associated design costs of €7,749 (incl. VAT). This comprehensive guide provides detailed information on all aspects of SAFE2 Registration and the PSC in a questions and answers type format. It is available on the Departments website atwww.welfare.ie and provides useful information for the general public, department customers and staff.