Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The number is 70 consultancies across my Department, effectively for a nine-year period. That is about an average of eight per annum. A good number of those relate to the change management agenda under CMOD, as indicated in my answer to Deputy Kenny. Some of those are paid for by them as well as the performance and development issues. Some of them relate to the period for the year before and during the EU Presidency. In departmental terms there is not a great deal. In the social policy area, surrounding social partnership issues in the main, there are eight. On independent evaluations — the point I was making to Deputy Ó Caoláin — there are two. The Civil Service modernisation programme, which is the big one, accounts for 28. There is only one for IT, namely, the one I spoke about in my answer to Deputy Kenny. In training and career development there are three. In ICT there are three, seven for the Presidency, seven under the heading e-Cabinet and four that do not fall into any of these categories. Money spent over the period amounted to €2,818,388. Most of these projects would have involved enhancements, improvements and developments.

It is the task of every Department to determine whether it is overusing the system. I hope my Department does not. However, at least there is some focus to the effect that if it happens, it occurs sparingly and under the two categories I have mentioned: either to enhance an existing system or develop a new one; or where an outside appraisal is required. The more internal staff who can do the work the better. My Department is not large, with just over 220 people working in it. However, we try hard not to become involved in consultancies unless something meaningful is required. A fair degree of thought is put into that.

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