I propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together.
My Department has managed international programming and messaging related to St. Brigid’s Day on an annual basis since 2017, with a special focus on celebrating the achievements of Irish women internationally. This year, 65 Irish Embassies and Consulates are marking St Brigid’s Day, representing the broadest diplomatic support to date for this uniquely Irish celebration. Events organised by DFAT Missions globally for St. Brigid’s Day are often held in partnership with local cultural institutions, artists, academics, civil society organisations and Irish diaspora communities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade uses social media and online platforms to communicate public awareness campaigns, to promote essential services to citizens and to highlight Irish positions and values internationally. Our social media and online platforms are also utilised, in conjunction with Team Ireland partners, to promote Ireland as a place to trade, invest, visit and study. This approach towards content on social media aligns to the approach of other Foreign Ministries in communicating key messages to international audiences. Over the last number of years, multimedia digital content campaigns have included multilingual content in up to 23 languages and have amassed tens of millions of views, resulting also in traffic to key Government of Ireland platforms, including Ireland.ie.
The video for the 2026 St. Brigid’s Day social media campaign, highlighting the achievements of Irish women internationally, was produced under a live contract held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the Provision of Digital Content Production Services. This contract commenced in March 2025 following a public procurement competition advertised on eTenders (Ireland’s National Tendering Website) and in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in late 2024, and conducted in accordance with the open procedure under the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016 (Statutory Instrument 284 of 2016). Three tenderers submitted a bid to supply the service and these were evaluated in line with the guidance provided by the Office of Government Procurement.
My Department's video for the 2026 St. Brigid’s Day social media campaign was finalised at the end of January, was subsequently issued in 19 languages globally and produced a range of feedback on different platforms online and in correspondence. The Department's digital campaign also included material which issued on the social media channels of my Department which highlighted the role of St Brigid of Kildare as a key figure in the history of Christianity in Ireland. As in all such instances, feedback received on the campaign, including constructively critical feedback, will help to inform future digital campaigns and opportunities to deliver key messages about Ireland to international audiences.
My Department has been pleased to profile the outstanding contributions of Irish religious internationally in its communications more generally. As part of the Department's 2025 St Patrick's Day social media campaign, the vital humanitarian work of Fr. Shay Cullen in the Philippines was highlighted in both the video and associated communications. In addition, my Department has profiled the work of Irish religious sisters on Ireland.ie, the international platform for the Government of Ireland, which has included articles detailing the work of Sr. Teresa McKeon in Sierra Leone, Sr. Louise Horgan in Thailand and Sr. Orla Tracey in South Sudan, among others. Our Departmental communications will continue to feature the very significant international contributions of Irish religious in its global communications over the years ahead.
My Department is also proud to support the work of Irish missionaries though Misean Cara, which we helped establish in 2004 as the link between Irish missionary organisations and Ireland's Official Development Assistance programme. In 2023, my Department renewed a four year partnership with Misean Cara, and committed to providing annual funding of €15.5 million in support of its members' vital work globally on education, health, climate resilient agriculture and human rights.
