Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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152. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection 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. [4859/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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For the purpose of this response, I have interpreted ‘online advertising’ as being both social media and digital advertising.  My Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them.  Public information campaigns, including social media and other digital platforms, are an important part of this work and allows the Department to interact with specific demographics and age groups, for whom this sphere of communication is central to their media and information consumption.

The purchase of digital and online space is managed through a media-buying company contracted by the Department.  Value for money is always a critical consideration.  

There was no spend on online advertising in 2013 or 2015.  Online advertising costs for the years 2014 and 2016-2023 are detailed below:

* Invoiced amount as of 30/01/2023

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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153. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection 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. [4877/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not created any social media accounts under false names to further messaging or communications.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.