Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are back to the issue of consultancy again. I have outlined the model. We supplement the expertise in the Department by retaining consultants. Much of what we need externally is in terms of legal advice because we deal with intricate legal issues, especially on the property side and the banking side. I have a note on consultancy and other services, and it refers directly to Deputy Boyd Barrett's point. An allocation of €6.575 million was provided in the 2013 Estimate driven by the requirement to provide for a wide range of deliverables, including banking sector policy, personal debt, SME lending, financial services reform and costs of the implementation of the national payment plan projects, all of which were being led by the Department. Significant savings were returned to the Exchequer as a result of a continuing emphasis on cost control and cost sharing. Notwithstanding this, a similar provision has been allocated in 2014 because of ongoing exposure and demands across all these categories. While the Department will continue to seek savings where possible, it must be equipped to address issues as they arise. If we find that we have something in the middle of the year and we do not have the expertise in-house to deal with it, I need to be able to buy it in and if I do not have it in the Estimate, I have to go back through the process of going before the Houses of the Oireachtas looking for supplementary funds. That is not always dealing with the issues as they need to be dealt with.