Written answers
Wednesday, 19 October 2005
Department of Agriculture and Food
Departmental Expenditure
9:00 pm
Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied) since 1997; 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. [29563/05]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has availed of subscription services from the company for access to independent research. The Department has used this subscription service as a source of information regarding the Department's ICT strategy, individual products and project specific technology issues. Given the scale and complexity of the Department's ICT, the budgets involved, and the long-term implications of decisions taken, access to quality independent advice is regarded as essential. While the company also provides consultancy the Department has not purchased any consultancy from the company.
Details of the contracts are provided in the following table.
| Year | Amount Paid | Service/Contract | Controls/Procurement Process | VFM Comment |
| â'¬ | ||||
| 2000 | 8,752.76 | Basic Internet access to this company's global research databases. | This is the pre-eminent global provider of independent analysis and advice to the IT sector. The decision to subscribe was approved by the head of IT. A tender process is not applicable. | Access to independent reports and research papers in relation to ICT issues. The advice available is non-vendor specific and informs strategic ICT decisions. |
| 2002 | 69,180.45 | Access to this company's global research databases and Membership of Executive Program. | In the light of the increased scale and complexity of the IT projects being delivered by the Department a decision was taken by the Head of IT to take membership of the company's executive programme. | Access to independent reports and research papers in relation to ICT issues. The advice available is non-vendor specific. Membership of the Executive Program has allowed the Department to benefit from regular access to a designated highly qualified local specialist, and unlimited access by the Department's IT staff to the company's analysts worldwide. It provides access to the company's vast range of research, their objectivity and insight, and access to a network of senior IT managers in similar scale organisations. |
| 2003 | 79,775.30 | Access to this company's global research databases and Membership of Executive Program. | Access to independent reports and research papers in relation to ICT issues. The advice available is non-vendor specific. Membership of the Executive Program has allowed the Department to benefit from regular access to a designated highly qualified local specialist, and unlimited access to the company's analysts worldwide. It provides access to the company's vast range of research, their objectivity and insight, and access to a network of senior IT managers in similar scale organisations. | |
| 2004 | 86,817.50 | Access to this company's global research databases and Membership of Executive Program. | Access to independent reports and research papers in relation to ICT issues. The advice available is non-vendor specific. Membership of the Executive Program has allowed the Department to benefit from regular access to a designated highly qualified local specialist, and unlimited access to the company's analysts worldwide. It provides access to the company's vast range of research, their objectivity and insight, and access to a network of senior IT managers in similar scale organisations. | |
| 2005 | 88,626.45 | Access to this company's global research databases and Membership of Executive Program. | Access to independent reports and research papers in relation to ICT issues. The advice available is non-vendor specific. Membership of the Executive Program has allowed the Department to benefit from regular access to a designated highly qualified local specialist, and unlimited access to the company's analysts worldwide. It provides access to the company's vast range of research, their objectivity and insight, and access to a network of senior IT managers in similar scale organisations. | |
| Total | 333,152.46 |
Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total amount paid to a consultancy company (details supplied) since 1997; 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. [29578/05]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the provisions of the EU Council Regulation No. 1258/99 on the financing of the Common Agricultural Policy and Commission Regulation No. 1663/95, since 1995 the European Commission only finances expenditure that is made by paying agencies accredited by member states. As part of the accreditation process, the regulations require that the annual accounts of the CAP paying agencies in member states must be accompanied by an attestation certificate regarding the integrity, exactitude and veracity of the annual accounts. This certificate must be given by a certifying body that is operationally independent of the paying agency. In this context, some payments were made to Arthur Andersen from 1997 to 1999. The greater number of items in the Accenture table from 2000 to date relate to the purchase of contracted software development resources rather than consultancy.
| Year | Amount Paid | Service/Contract | Controls/Procurement Process | VFM Comment |
| â'¬ | ||||
| 1997 | 88,047.84 | EAGGF Audit | Competitive tendering process | As per above — audit is required under EU law |
| £3,692.38 | Professional advice given relating to the accounting treatment of Coillte's investment in the Irish Forestry Unit Trust (IFUT) for the years 1994 to 1996. | Appropriate procedures undertaken | VFM obtained. | |
| 1998 | 101,556.50 | EAGGF Audit | Tendering process in accordance with EU public procurement procedures | As per above — audit is required under EU law |
| 34,200 | Area Aid Project | Appropriate tendering process | VFM obtained | |
| 1999 | 139,790.80 | EAGGF Audit | Tendering process in accordance with EU public procurement procedures | As per above — audit is required under EU law |
| 66,550 | Review of Beef Export Refunds Payments | The contract was awarded on the basis of a competitive tender and, because of its complexity and timescale, Accenture were most suitable for the project given their competence and knowledge of the processes concerned. | The adoption of the report has allowed for significant improvement in the service provided to customers and, in particular, the reduction in the time for the payment of beef export refunds to traders to a maximum period of 28 days. | |
| 2000 | 12,533 | Review of Procurement Process of Intervention Operations | Arthur Andersen & Co were the certifying body at the time that they were awarded this contract. This uniquely qualified them for the task, and they were awarded the contract because of the knowledge they had of the Intervention Schemes as a result of their accreditation certification work. | VFM obtained |
| Accenture | ||||
| Year | Amount Paid | Service/Contract | Controls/Procurement Process | VFM Comment |
| â'¬ | ||||
| 2000 | 36,568.46 | The Department commissioned The company to assist in the development and production of its eGovernment Strategy. All Government Departments were required to produce such strategies in 2000. | The company were awarded this contract following a competitive tendering process. (The tender chosen was lowest priced received). | The Department's eStrategy was developed and delivered to the Department of the Taoiseach on time and within budget. |
| 2000 | 13,827.45 | The company were requested to make recommendations regarding the setting up of an IT Security Unit within the Department. | The company were requested to undertake the work as they were already familiar with the IT Security issues facing the Department, having carried out audit work for the Department. | Work was completed on time and within cost. The recommendations were accepted and the IT Security Unit was successfully established shortly afterwards. |
| 2001 | 56,985.84 | In 2001, The company were commissioned to provide expertise in Technical Architecture Design, specifically in the area of our Java programming and J2EE environments. This was a requirement of the IT Strategy. | Public Tendering Process | Work was completed on time and within cost. This provided vital software and standards that would protect the Department's investment. The software provided allows for competing vendors to supply different modules of the Department's technical infrastructure. |
| 2001 | 5,472,053.00 | Re-engineering of existing Geographical Information and Area Aid Payments System into a single integrated system | Open EU Procurement Tender | This work was to provide the controls necessary to underpin the payment of approximately €1.5 billion per annum in EU direct farmer payments. The system was delivered on schedule and provides an excellent service. |
| 2001 | 53,138.53 | Provision of Computer Programmers to assist with the development of a Corporate Customer System | The tender was advertised on the eTenders public procurement website. Responses to tenders were evaluated based on pre-determined selection and award criteria. Short-listed candidates were interviewed. The tender was awarded to most economically advantageous tender response. | The majority of the IT work required to develop this key corporate software asset was carried out by in-house Staff. The Department is satisfied that very good value for money was achieved. |
| 2001 | 4,704 | Review of Department's Business Continuity Plan | Appropriate procedures undertaken | VFM obtained |
| 2002 | 127,437.30 | In 2001, The company were commissioned to provide expertise in Technical Architecture Design, specifically in the area of our Java programming and J2EE environments. This was a requirement of the IT Strategy. | Public Tendering Process | Work was completed on time and within cost. This provided vital software and standards that would protect the Department's investment. The software provided allows for competing vendors to supply different modules of the Department's technical infrastructure. |
| 2002 | 151,240.32 | In 2002, The company were asked to provide expertise to build a multi project method of secure access to systems within DAF. This was to be built upon their own security modules. | As The company had provided the technical framework for the J2EE environment and had prepared the Technical Architecture design for that environment, they were commissioned to undertake the building of a system to provide secure access for all our staff to all new IT systems with the flexibility to move seamlessly and efficiently between these systems. This was a force majeure measure as (1) other projects were being delayed, with potential cost implications, due to the lack of such a secure access facility (2) issue had been raised during EU Certification Audit (3) the essential skills and expertise were not available within the Department (4) the underlying environment had been designed and built by The company | The Department now had a secure method of access to all systems for its internal staff. The system was now capable of handling multi-application access. This meant less coding and time savings for future developers. This increased security had been an essential requirement which had been identified by the Certifying Body during part of the annual Accreditation Audit of the Department as an EU Paying Agency |
| 2002 | 5,776,499.00 | Continued Re-engineering of Geographical Information and Area Aid Payment System including maintenance of previously developed facilities | Open EU Procurement Tender of 2001. | This work was to provide the controls necessary to underpin the payment of approximately €1.5 billion per annum in EU direct farmer payments. |
| 2002 | 227,913.68 | Provision of Computer Programmers to assist with the development of a Corporate Customer System | The tender was advertised on the eTenders public procurement website. Responses to the tender were evaluated based on pre-determined selection and award criteria. Short-listed candidates were interviewed. Tender details were also submitted to the Government Contracts Committee and approval was received to award it the most economically advantageous tender response. | The majority of the IT work required to develop this key corporate software asset was carried out by in-house Staff. The Department is satisfied that very good value for money was achieved. |
| 2003 | 1,503,356.00 | Maintenance of Geographical Information and Area Aid Payment System and provision of Internet access to farmers | Open EU Procurement Tender of 2001. | This work was to provide the controls necessary to underpin the payment of approximately €1.5 billion per annum in EU direct farmer payments. |
| 2004 | 21,888.90 | Essential security modifications (based on an independent external review) to the Department's access control system for internet based applications. | The company were requested to undertake the work, as The company had written the access control application and had the essential skills and expertise, which were not available within the Department. Work period of 27 days. | The modifications were delivered on time and within budget. |
| 2004 | 29,995.90 | Modifications to the Department's access control system for the Animal Identification and Movement internet based application as approved by the AIM project board. | The company were requested to undertake the work, as The company had written the access control application and had the essential skills and expertise, which were not available within the Department. Work period of 33 days. | The modifications were delivered on time and within budget. |
| 2004 | 2,454,950.00 | Maintenance of Geographical Information and Area Aid Payment System and commencement of development of system for Single Farm Payment | Open EU Procurement Tender | This work was to provide the controls necessary to underpin the payment of approximately €1.5 billion per annum in EU direct farmer payments. The ability to build on an existing system to meet the requirements of the Single Farm Payment is saving the Department considerable cost. |
| 2004 | 916,627.04 | Contract to build the IFORIS Computer System for the Forest Service. | Extension of existing contract which was put in place in accordance with national and EU procurement procedures | The provides end to end support for the processing of forestry grants and integrates the geographical functionality, providing a very high level of control. The project is near completion. This represents good value for money for acquiring a software asset of this scale and type |
| 2005 | 1,111,059.58 | Continuation of the above project | Continuation of the above project | Continuation of the above project |
| 2005 | 174,784.50 | Contract to build the FIMS (Forest Industry Mapping System) Computer System for the Forest Service | Extension of existing contract which was put in place in accordance with national and EU procurement procedures | Represents good value for money for acquiring a software asset of this type |
| 2005 | 27,225.00 | Support contract for the Department's access control system for internet based applications. | The company were requested to provide the support, as The company had written the access control application and have the essential skills and expertise, which are not available within the Department. Work period of 33 days. | The support is ongoing and timely. |
| 2005 | 1,319,476.00 | Continued development of Single Farm Payment system | Open EU Procurement Tender of 2004. | This work was to provide the controls necessary to underpin the payment of approximately €1.5 billion per annum in EU direct farmer payments. The ability to build on an existing system to meet the requirements of the Single Farm Payment is saving the Department considerable cost. |
| Total | 19,475,056.50 |
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