Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 3 June 2021

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Estimates for Public Services 2021 (Resumed)
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised)

Photo of Jack ChambersJack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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On the Office of the Attorney General, the subhead includes provision for information technology-related consultancy fees and for other consultancies. The savings in 2020 arose from fewer than anticipated audits as the office outsources its internal audit function. The 2021 allocation reflects the fact that the office expects a full list of a series of internal audits to be undertaken during 2021. That relates to the Office of the Attorney General.

On the Central Statistics Office figures, the subhead provides for the fees and expenses in respect of mainly IT or non-IT value for money and policy reviews by the office. The allocation for consultancy spending remains small and reflects Government policy to limit consultancy costs. Typically with the CSO it related to external advice, for example, for IT-related advice. That was the majority of the spend there. As the Chairman will see, the allocation was quite small.