Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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170. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he has engaged a third-party company to date in 2021 to conduct online and or social media monitoring and or provide reports on social media coverage of his Department; if so, the cost of same; and the name of the social media platforms being monitored. [25782/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not engaged a third-party company to date in 2021 to conduct online or social media monitoring or provide reports on social media coverage of my Department and, therefore, no costs have been incurred.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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171. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if officials in his Department are tasked with conducting online and social media monitoring and completing reports on social media coverage of his Department and his Ministerial activities; if so, the number of staff involved; the respective grades of each; the estimated working hours committed to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25800/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Within my Department’s Communications Unit, there are currently seven staff employed to deal with press and public relations. Part of their work includes monitoring social media on an ongoing basis to ensure that the work of the Department and its Ministers is factually represented, and that clarifications or corrections are made if and when appropriate. Specific reports are not complied and as this task is just one element of routine press office work it is not possible to estimate the time specifically committed to it.

A breakdown of staff by grade is set out as follows.