Written answers

Thursday, 30 November 2023

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Departmental Advertising

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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253. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department spent in 2021, 2022 and up to 27 November 2023 on advertisements with a website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53053/23]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs uses public awareness campaigns primarily to promote essential services to citizens at home and abroad such as passport and consular services. In recent years, public awareness campaigns in relation to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit have formed a significant part of advertising costs.

As with other Government Departments, the Department of Foreign Affairs engages the services of a third-party media agency (PHD Media) for the purposes of advertisement placement and reaching audiences across a range of mediums including digital advertising, print media, radio, outdoor and TV.

The Department’s spend on advertising and public awareness campaigns is primarily conducted through this agency with the aim of maximising the audience reach, without direct engagement or financial transactions with social media organisations such as Twitter/X.

The below figures represent the costs of DFA HQ advertising activity placed with website Twitter/X that took place within each of the relevant calendar years.

X (formally Twitter) totals spent 2021- 27 November 2023

Year 2021 2022 2023 to date
Totals (€ 49,773.36 60,540.31 10,347.87

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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254. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department spent in 2021, 2022 and up to 27 November 2023 on advertisements with two websites (details supplied) respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53073/23]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Foreign Affairs uses public awareness campaigns primarily to promote essential services to citizens at home and abroad such as passport and consular services. In recent years, public awareness campaigns in relation to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit have formed a significant part of advertising costs.

As with other Government Departments, the Department of Foreign Affairs engages the services of a third-party media agency (PHD Media) for the purposes of advertisement placement and reaching audiences across a range of mediums including digital advertising, print media, radio, outdoor and TV.

The Department’s spend on advertising and public awareness campaigns is primarily conducted through this agency with the aim of maximising the audience reach, without direct engagement or financial transactions with the websites Facebook and Instagram.

The below figures represent the costs of DFA HQ advertising activity placed with the websites Facebook and Instagram that took place within each of the relevant calendar years.

Facebook and Instagram totals spent 2021- 27 November 2023

Year 2021 2022 2023 to date
Totals (€) 105,964.53 104,706.00 122,188.00

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

255. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount his Department spent in 2021, 2022 and up to 27 November 2023 on advertisements with a website (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53090/23]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Foreign Affairs uses public awareness campaigns primarily to promote essential services to citizens at home and abroad such as passport and consular services. In recent years, public awareness campaigns in relation to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit have formed a significant part of advertising costs.

As with other Government Departments, the Department of Foreign Affairs engages the services of a third-party media agency (PHD Media) for the purposes of advertisement placement and reaching audiences across a range of mediums including digital advertising, print media, radio, outdoor and TV.

The Department’s spend on advertising and public awareness campaigns is primarily conducted through this agency with the aim of maximising the audience reach, without direct engagement or financial transactions with social media organisations such as Google.

The below figures represent the costs of DFA HQ advertising activity placed with the website Google that took place within each of the relevant calendar years.

Google totals spent 2021 – 27 November 2023

Year 2021 2022 2023 to date
Totals (€) 36,026.00 65,396.00 113,341.00

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