Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I want to touch on consultancy fees, particularly for State bodies. There are numerous State bodies which are hiding their consultancy fees from both ourselves here on the Committee of Public Accounts and from the public in their accounts. This is an attempt to avoid publishing the full costs they pay on consultancy fees. They are hiding those costs in business as usual outsourcing in their accounts, and this section then contains scant detail.

I will give the committee some examples. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, reported €2.1 million in consultancy fees in 2022 and this information was gained through a freedom of information, FOI, request. It was revealed that there were €86.1 million in business as usual outsourcing.

The National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, reported €281,000 in consultancy fees in 2022 and €12.7 million was the FOI figure which, again, was hidden in the business as usual outsourcing.

The Office of Public Works, OPW, reported €9.1 million, but the hidden figure was actually double that where it was €18.2 million. Is the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform aware that many of the State bodies are publicly underdeclaring their consultancy costs? It appears that the behaviour is widespread and it makes our job far more difficult. One cannot have accountability if one does not have transparency. Is the Department aware that this practice has been going on?