Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
1285. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the 100 keywords that her Department will provide to a contracted service for its social media monitoring projects; the rationale for the way in which the keywords were chosen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36446/18]
View answer1286. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason she is seeking a comprehensive social media monitoring and analysis service for her Department; the name of the social media channels for which her Department will require these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36447/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1285 and 1286 together.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is currently tendering for a number of related media monitoring services.
The tender for the provision of “a media monitoring service to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection” details the Department’s requirements in terms of three individual service “Lots”. Lot 1 is for Print and Digital Media Monitoring, Lot 2 is for Broadcast Media Monitoring and Lot 3 is for Social Media Monitoring.
Daily media monitoring provides the Department with an important understanding of policy issues, economic issues and customer issues that may have implications for the Department’s customers and other stakeholders, and indeed the Department itself. The ability to monitor media coverage and respond quickly to issues impacting our customers and stakeholders is very important, especially given the scale and nature of the Department’s schemes and services, and the wide range of customers it serves on a daily basis.
The media landscape has changed in recent years and greater use of digital and social media means that policy, economic and customer issues are often communicated on social media in the first instance. Social media, therefore, represents an important potential news source for the Department.
As is clearly stated on the first page of the Tender document, “tenderers should be aware that the Contracting Authority may elect to proceed with one, two, or all three Lots, as determined by cost and business need”. The inclusion of a Social Media monitoring service in Lot 3 clearly does not commit the Department to procuring such a service now or in the future, but makes provision for this service.
As the tender process is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to provide further information at this time.
