Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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421. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has undertaken procurement processes for consultancy agencies, media or otherwise to assist it with formulating or contributing to policy messaging on social media or videos relating to his departmental strategies or policies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15384/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department incurred costs of €69,497 on social media services since May 2016 to date, as set out in the following table.

The above services were procured in accordance with the relevant procurement procedures.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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422. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which his Departmental officials have been contributing to and taking part in Government of Ireland social media messages; the way in which they are co-ordinated in each of the policy areas of his Department; the Department that is the lead Department in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15401/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department is active across a range of social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. My Department uses these channels to communicate ministerial news, Departmental updates, consultations, publications, events, and news about bodies under the aegis of the Department. In addition, these channels will communicate and share news from other Departments where appropriate, or where there is cross-Departmental relevance.

Co-ordination of social media communication across different policy areas of this Department is the responsibility of the Press and Communications Unit in the department. For wider cross-departmental information, co-ordination will, where appropriate, be the responsibility of the Government Information Service. In these instances, my Department will retweet and share relevant content. There will occasionally be cross-Departmental policy initiatives for which social media communication will be led and co-ordinated by the policy Department in question, including this Department. In these instances, my Department's communications or press team would request that other Departments retweet or share relevant and useful content.