Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2021
381. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has engaged a third-party company to date in 2021 to conduct online and or social media monitoring and or provide reports on social media coverage of his Department; if so, the cost of same; and the name of the social media platforms being monitored. [25788/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra382. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage 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. [25806/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra402. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the percentage of posts made on each of his Departmental social media accounts and platforms that were exclusively in Irish between 1 May 2020 and 30 April 2021, inclusive; the percentage of posts made on each of his Departmental social media accounts and platforms that featured bilingual translations in Irish and English between 1 May 2020 and 30 April 2021, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26584/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 381, 382 and 402 together.
My Department has not engaged a third-party company to conduct online and/or social media monitoring or to provide reports on social media coverage. My Department's social media channels are managed by officials within the Communications Unit. Content posted on those channels is monitored in order to measure its efficacy in terms of reach and public engagement.
My Department’s Communications Unit produces reports for senior management which highlight the departmental social media content that achieved the largest reach. These reports are compiled by an official, who could be at EO, HEO or AO grade, depending on other work on hand, as part of their normal duties and are estimated to represent approximately 2-3 days of work per annum. Met Éireann, which is a division of my Department, provide social media reports as part of this process. This involves 1 staff member at Senior Met Officer / Higher Executive Grade and estimated working hours is approximately one day per annum.
My Department does not monitor or compile reports on general social media coverage of Department or Ministerial activities.
The primary means used by my Department’s for communicating information to the public is through press releases with social media largely used as a means of directing people to the news updates on our website.
Under its Irish Language Scheme 2020-2023, my Department will increase to 30% the number of press releases published bilingually during the lifetime of the Scheme. The percentage of social media posts in Irish on my Department’s channels will also increase from its current level of approximately 1%. The number of social media posts featuring bilingual translations on Met Éireann’s channels is approximately 5%, increasing to around 30% during Seachtain na Gaeilge.
