Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We as a Department actually publish our spend on consultants. For 2023, the full detail of that will be published. I think it is important that while we try to keep the spend on consultancy to a minimum and that should always be the objective, there will be occasions where expert advice is needed on specific public policy issues. I take the broader point about building up the capacity within our Department and other Departments as well. The Deputy will see in Vote 7, for example, a very significant increase in salary provision for 2024. That is because we are in the midst of a significant recruitment campaign. We are going to be filling a lot of vacancies within the Department in the coming period. Of course, Ireland will be preparing for the EU Presidency, which we will host in the second half of 2026. It might seem like a long way away but when it comes to the amount of planning and preparation involved, that work is well under way and will have to involve recruiting additional staff in the key Departments. We have that in mind as well when looking at the figure of €29 million that we have provided under salaries, wages and pensions.