Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 215: To ask the Taoiseach the total amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied); the details of each of the contracts and services provided; the nature of controls applied in the procurement process; and if value for money has been achieved. [29553/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 228: To ask the Taoiseach the amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied) in respect of each year since 2000; the details of each of the contracts and services provided; the nature of the controls applied in the procurement process or processes; if he has satisfied himself that value for money has been achieved in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29448/05]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 228 together.

The amounts paid by my Department to Gartner are shown in the following table.

Gartner publishes independent research and provides one-to-one customer advice, on all aspects of ICT using in excess of 1,000 analysts and consultants who advise executives worldwide. Subscription to this service gives the Department access to a large volume of research information, which is critical in assisting decision making in such a small IT unit. At the time of our subscription, there was no other suitable company in a position to provide us with this vast range of independent research material and one-to-one customer advice. I am satisfied that value for money has been achieved in this case.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 216: To ask the Taoiseach the total amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied); the details of each of the contracts and services provided; the nature of the controls applied in the procurement process; and if value for money has been achieved. [29568/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 229: To ask the Taoiseach the amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied) in respect of each year since 2000; the details of each of the contracts and services provided; the nature of the controls applied in the procurement process or processes; if he has satisfied himself that value for money has been achieved in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29463/05]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 216 and 229 together.

In 2002, following a competitive tendering process, the Information Society Commission, which came under the aegis of my Department, engaged the services of Accenture to conduct a study on the value of developing a national e-payments strategy.

Accenture was paid €155,333.75 in respect of the development of this strategy, €72,600 of which was subsequently recouped from the information society fund which is administered by the Department of Finance. I am satisfied that value for money has been achieved.

No other payments have been made to Accenture in the period.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 217: To ask the Taoiseach the cost involved in producing and disseminating the booklet Ireland and the European Union or the Irish language version Éire agus an tAontas Eorpach; the number of copies of each which were printed and the way in which they are made available to the public. [28649/05]

Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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The cost incurred to date in producing the 3rd edition of Ireland and the European Union: Identifying Priorities and Pursuing Goals is €11,023 for the design and typesetting of English and Irish language versions of the document and €4,537.50 for the translation of the document into Irish. My Department is awaiting an invoice for the printing of 3,000 English copies and 500 Irish copies of the document. However, it has been agreed that the cost for printing the English version of the document will be €10,350 and €5,308 for the Irish language version.

My Department has sent copies of the publication to every county librarian in the country and has also made the publication available in electronic form from the Department's website. Copies were also sent to public representatives, third level institutes and to a large number of organisations and individuals engaged with European matters.