Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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148. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of staff in his Department employed to work on marketing, media and social media in 2018. [54482/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has a dedicated Communications Unit that employs twenty one civil servants covering, inter alia, press relations, website and digital media and public outreach.

The role of the Unit is to promote and facilitate external communication in support of Ireland's objectives internationally. This includes communicating to the public about the work underway by Government to prepare for the departure of the UK from the European Union and steps taken to mitigate impacts as well as messaging on our candidacy for the Security Council of the United Nations. Other key priorities for the Unit include strengthening the capacity of the Department and missions abroad to deliver on public diplomacy goals; deepening public awareness of the services and activities of the Department and enhancing public awareness of Irish Aid - Ireland's official overseas development programme.

There are press officers posted in London, Brussels and Washington, as well as a team of three officers in the Passport Office whose work includes social media and key public information messaging on passport services.

In addition there are currently two Special Advisors employed by my Department who, along with other duties, advise on media matters.

Mr. Chris Donoghue is my Special Advisor and Communications Director. Mr. Donoghue is employed at Principal Officer grade. Mr. Paul Fox is Special advisor to the Minister of State for European Affairs. His role includes advice on media matters. Mr. Fox is employed at Assistant Principal Officer grade.

These appointments were made in line with “Instructions to Personnel Officers – Ministerial Appointments for the 32^ndDáil” which included “Guidelines on staffing of Ministerial offices” issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.