Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
604. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if officials in his Department are tasked with conducting online and social media monitoring and completing reports on social media coverage of his Department and his Ministerial activities; if so, the number of staff involved; the respective grades of each; the estimated working hours committed to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25805/21]
View answerI can confirm that officials in my Department are not tasked with conducting online and social media monitoring and reports on social media coverage of my Department or Ministerial activities.
I can however confirm that, as guided by WHO Outbreak Communication Planning Guide “Understanding the public’s risk perceptions, views and concerns is critical to effective communication and the broader emergency management function it supports," my Department has been actively listening to public views and concerns on the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of public health restrictions, including conducting surveys among the general public through the Amárach survey, published regularly on the Department’s website and collating commentary on traditional and social media.
This work was initially outsourced at the outset of the pandemic in early March 2020 until the end of June 2020 when the contract ceased, and the work was brought in-house as part of my Departments ongoing work to listen and engage with public sentiment on COVID-19 public health advice. This work is carried out by officers of middle management level at Higher Executive Officer grade.
