I can confirm that my Department has not engaged or consulted with a public relations online advertising agency regarding social media advertising and online promoted content in 2018 or 2019.
Part of my Department's work includes developing public information campaigns - designed to enhance public awareness of the Department's wide range of schemes and services and any important changes. As part of this work it engages a design agency to develop advertising content, and a media buying agency to purchase advertising space across a range of media, as required. The design agency was appointed following a public tendering process on E-tenders. The media buying agency was appointed via an Office of Government Procurement framework competition.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.