Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Finance
Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Office of the Appeal Commissioners (Revised)
3:10 pm
Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I wish to ask the Minister about subhead B4, consultancy and other services. The outturn for 2013 was €3.5 million, yet the Estimate allowed for this year is €6.5 million. That seems like a huge amount of money for consultancy and seems even larger and more significant against a background in which the Minister required only half of that in the previous year. I accept that the Minister allowed for approximately €6.5 million last year and did not spend it, but he is allowing for €6.5 million this year for consultants. Could he explain that? Who, precisely, are the consultants? What are they doing for us and why do we need them?