Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2025
212. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the percentage of social media video accessible, such as providing the information or activities posted on each of his Department’s social media accounts, or the social media accounts of public bodies and agencies that operate under its remit, including closed captioning and subtitling and Irish Sign Language translations, between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, inclusive. [14047/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024,
• three per cent of my Department's social media videos included Irish sign language (ISL) translations, and
• eighty per cent of social media videos included closed captioning/subtitling.
These figures include video content reposted to departmental social media channels and where automated closed captioning is available through video hosting platform (YouTube).
My Department endeavours to provide information in both English and Irish, not only through social media, but through other communication channels and materials. We are committed to complying with requirements under the Official Languages Act, including providing all static content on the Department's website in both Irish and English, and this is kept under regular review. The Department is committed to accessibility, including captioning.
There are three bodies which operate under the aegis of my Department - the Army Pensions Board, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces and the External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces (EOB) - and I can confirm that none of these bodies operate social media accounts.
