The Taoiseach has ditched his well-known Twitter handle in favour of the more prosaic @LeoVaradkar, he announced on the social network on Friday. Fine Gael insisted that no money had changed hands arising from the social media changeover. The update of Mr Varadkar’s social media persona was to “heighten awareness of his Instagram,” the spokesman added. The social media handover comes amid fresh scrutiny of Government spending on advertising and social media campaigns. Government departments spent almost €1.3 million on social media and digital advertising last year, according to information supplied by Ministers.

Source: The Irish Times March 22, 2019 22:04 UTC