Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 April 2019
231. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department has undertaken procurement processes in relation to consultancy agencies, media or otherwise, to assist it with formulating or contributing to policy messaging on social media or videos relating to departmental strategies or policies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15393/19]
View answerThe formulation and development of social media content by my Department is generally undertaken internally by the Department’s Press and Communications Office, in consultation with relevant policy Divisions as appropriate.
The only exception to this in recent years is ‘What Would You Do?’, the national awareness campaign around domestic violence. This three year campaign, led by Cosc - The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence - formed the first half of a six-year, multi-media national awareness campaign under the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021. The second half of this campaign, focusing on awareness of sexual violence, will launch this year.
Procurement processes were undertaken with four consultancy agencies in relation to the domestic violence campaign. The details of these agencies are as follows:
- In 2016 Cosc procured Empirica to act as Pitch Consultants to support the procurement process for the national awareness campaign.
- In 2016, and following a rigorous EU tendering process, PHD Media Ireland and TBWA\Dublin were awarded contracts to provide Media Planning and Buying Advertising Services and Strategic and Creative Advertising services respectively to the campaign.
- In 2017 Ebiquity Marsh were engaged to undertake an ongoing media audit of the media buying for the national awareness campaign.
It should be noted that these agencies provided services relating to the campaign as a whole across all media channels. While social media was a part of this, it was not the main focus of the work engaged.
