Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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300. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department and associated agencies have spent on social media advertising since the beginning of January 2021 until 12 June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32614/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department engages in public awareness advertising where there is important information that needs to be brought to the attention of citizens.

With the UK’s departure from the EU at the beginning of 2020 it was important to highlight the substantial and lasting changes for businesses that were to come into effect at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 and into 2021. This Brexit Communications campaign focused on business readiness, and encouraging those who trade with, or through, the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland), to take action and avail of information and resources available at Gov.ie, to limit the disruption to their business.

Expenditure in 2021 on the social media elements of the Brexit readiness campaign were €143,510. While the costs of both the 2020 and 2021campaigns were borne by my Department, this is a whole of Government campaign that was prepared and executed in partnership with other Government Departments and Agencies, in particular, the Department of the Taoiseach. Additionally a number of other Government Departments and Agencies ran related and focused sectoral campaigns in their areas of responsibility which were funded directly by those Departments and Agencies. Our digital outreach will continue to be an important channel of communication and, as we move to a new phase of assisting businesses adapt to the permanent changes that Brexit has brought about, the new “Brexit Ready Ireland” brand will be used to support our communications activities.

My Department and its Embassy network has also engaged in promotion on social media of certain other initiatives and projects that relate to Ireland’s foreign policy activities.

Expenditures is outlined in the table below:

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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301. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department has spent on social media content production since the beginning of January 2021 until 12 June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32631/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department produces content for social media as part of information campaigns at home and overseas that promote Ireland’s economic, political and cultural interests and to engage with the Global Irish community. In 2021, expenditure on content production for initiatives included marking Ireland’s membership of the UN Security Council, St. Brigid’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, a video marking the role of women in peace and security, Africa Day and a strategy for the Nordic region.

Expenditure video production, animation, graphic design and content translation for social media purposes in 2021 to date is listed in the table below.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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302. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department and all associated agencies have spent on public relations consultancy costs since January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32648/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not employ persons or firms to deal with public relations and has not incurred expenditure in this area.