Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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503. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of staff in her Department employed to work on marketing, media and social media in 2018. [54474/18]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In my Department, the Communications Unit coordinates and deals with all queries from the media. This Unit also informs the public via traditional and social media about policies, functions and activities of the Department.

This Unit is currently led by the Head of Communications - Principal Officer level – who was appointed on 17 July 2017. The Department made this appointment as part of a wider drive to strengthen professional expertise within its corporate functions, which is a key objective of the Civil Service Renewal Plan.

The Press function within the Communications Unit is supported by a staff complement of five (one Assistant Principal Officer, one Administrative Officer, one Executive Officer and two Clerical Officers). The Communications Unit also leads on engagement with a broad range of stakeholders and with the Agencies under the remit of the Department, to inform the media and the general public on policy matters across the wide mission of my Department, its Offices and Agencies.

The Department is committed to ensuring effective communication with all of our customers, both internal and external and we endeavour to ensure that all possible assistance is given to all of our customers in accessing information on the wide range of services that we provide.

In addition to the Press function, the Communications Unit is further supported by a staff complement of five (one Assistant Principal Officer, one Higher Executive Officer, two Executive Officers and one Clerical Officer).

During 2018, my Department recruited two Communications and Media Assistants at Executive Officer grade, one of whom was appointed to the Companies Registration Office and the second to the Workplace Relations Commission. These roles support both these Offices in the effective use of social media, preparation of media content for their respective websites, and assisting with event planning management.

My Department is continuously committed to maintaining and improving its commitment to, and delivery of, the highest standards of quality customer service. As a result. the staffing complement in the Communication Unit has increased in an effort to engage with and respond to the growing demands from the media and the general public on the wide range of Departmental policies, functions and activities.