Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In regard to what progress has been made in implementing the remainder of the recommendations contained in the Quigley report, the first point to make is that by immediately drawing up and issuing the additional guidelines, all recommendations relevant to my Department were implemented.

In regard to recommendations addressed to other Departments, I understand the position to be as follows. A Department of Finance subgroup, consisting of representatives from the Department of Finance and the Government's contracts committee, carried out a review in accordance with the recommendations of the Quigley report regarding the engagement of consultants guidelines, consolidating various elements of previous guidelines and augmenting them, where appropriate. These were prepared, subsequently published and circulated.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government procurement guidelines and practices in that Department were reviewed and a set of consolidated guidelines were made available to all staff. Revised procedures were put in place to strengthen monitoring and control of procurement and intensive briefing and refresher training was arranged for all staff engaged in procurement. Reference material on procurement was also published on the Department's Internet website which made it readily available to all staff.

The OPW procurement procedures were reviewed within Dublin Castle and conference facility and public procurement best practice is applied to all procurement requirements. Within the broader OPW, a working group was established to review the procurement policies and procedures and make recommendations as to necessary changes. The report contained revised procurement guidelines for all OPW staff. They were embraced in best practice and ensure that the 2004 Department of Finance public procurement guidelines competitive process is fully implemented.

Regarding the Deputy's question, the only matters brought to my attention if a Department proposes to engage PR consultants to advise it on issues, is where the Department proposes to engage such consultants — that fact has to be brought to my attention — where there is an element of direct service to a Minister, particularly a PR communications area, and the Minister has suggested the name of a person or enterprise as being suitable. If these criteria are not applicable, then there is no need for my approval or for their referral to the Government secretariat.

Regarding PR budgets within agencies, that is a matter for senior management, as these are operational matters within individual agencies. The guidelines that apply to public bodies are expected to be adhered to and the audit committee and others are the control mechanisms by which that is scrutinised.

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