Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount spent by her Department on online advertising in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023, in tabular form; if she will provide details in relation to this spending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4848/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department’s total spending on advertising for the period in question is outlined below. The Department does not have a breakdown for online advertising available. The Department has not incurred any expenditure on advertising to date in 2023.

The Department has recently engaged in a number of advertising campaigns including the Teaching Transforms campaign which has been ongoing since late 2018 to promote the teaching profession and encourage post-primary and third level students to apply for programmes of initial teacher education. The various phases of the campaign have used a range of channels, including digital (online video and social media), radio (traditional and digital) and print (national papers and college press).

The Department has also engaged in public information campaigns in respect of school reopening, to ensure widespread awareness of public health advice in the context of Covid-19. It has also undertaken targeted advertising and awareness campaigns for students involved in both the 2020 Calculated Grades process and the 2021 Leaving Certificate and Accredited Grades process to ensure awareness of the changed procedures under these models, necessitated by the pandemic.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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127. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to any instances where the public relations unit and or press office of her Department undertook to create social media accounts under false names, which were operated in order to further the messaging or communications of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4866/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Communications Unit of my Department, encompassing its press office, operates social media accounts in the Department's name, to inform stakeholders and the public about important matters relating to the Department's policies and its work. 

It has not created any social media accounts under false names, for any purpose.