Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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89. To ask the Taoiseach the amount spent by his Department on public advertising and the purchase of external communications and publicity in 2018 by advertising campaign, including specific amounts on social media campaigns (details supplied) or other digital platforms; and the amount spent on public relations or other communications support in tabular form.. [53583/18]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Taoiseach the amount spent on social media by his Department in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and the projected spend in 2019. [53997/18]

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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91. To ask the Taoiseach the amount spent on marketing and media by his Department in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and the projected spend in 2019. [54014/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 to 91, inclusive, together.

Please find the amounts requested in tabular form.

The costs include information campaigns aimed at improving citizen's lives, such as the Healthy Ireland campaign, which encourages people to take small steps to improve their health or the Be Safe Online campaign, which highlights the range of resources to help assist people in being safe online. It also includes communications about recruitment and campaigns regarding Government policy.

Please note that Digital advertising includes the following:

1) Advertising on search engines, to ensure the public is directed to the sites that deliver the services/information they are looking for; and

2) Sponsored posts on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube, to ensure strong dissemination of Government information.

The spend on digital advertising in 2018 is estimated at approximately €450,000. This expenditure relates to a number of major cross-Government public information campaigns that the Department funded centrally during 2018. Examples include Healthy Ireland, Global Ireland, Project Ireland 2040 and the Self Employed Benefits campaign aimed at ensuring that self employed people are aware of the new and existing benefits available to them.

The majority of this expense was incurred prior to July 2018, before changes were made. Public information campaigns in the future will largely be funded by the relevant line Department, as opposed to being funded centrally from this Department. As a result, spend for 2019 on social media is anticipated to be significantly less.

Digital Advertising (social media advertising included)

Marketing and Media (to include print advertising, PR, radio advertising, cinema advertising, pitchside advertising, and creative production)