Written answers

Tuesday, 8 November 2005

Department of Finance

Departmental Staff

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 352: To ask the Minister for Finance the total and yearly number of persons who, since 1997, have worked in units to deal with public private partnerships; the cost of the unit in each year since 1997; the number of public presentations which have been given in each year since 1997; and the associated cost. [32988/05]

Photo of Brian CowenBrian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The public private partnership unit in my Department has been in place since 1999. The information requested is set out in the following table:

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
No. of staff in Unit 1 4.67 6.0 9.25 8.67 8.55 6.45 7.55

The number of staff is expressed in terms of whole time equivalent numbers, as the staffing composition during the course of any particular year would vary in terms of both the number of people and the period of time for which staff worked in the unit.

The framework for public private partnerships, agreed with the relevant social partners under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness in 2001, provided for the central PPP policy unit in the Department of Finance to lead a communications and awareness strategy. Key actions under the strategy, which was agreed with the relevant social partners in 2002, included a series of nationwide seminars involving the social partners. Seminars were held in Cork, Waterford, Athlone, Galway, Limerick, Sligo and Dublin between December 2001 and June 2003. The purpose of the seminars was to inform business, union and local government interests and the public about the framework for public private partnerships and about the PPP process generally. Direct expenditure associated with these public presentations amounted to €36,578.73 between 2001 and 2003.

In addition to these seminars, there were individual seminars for the construction industry, chambers of commerce, local authorities, etc. It was not possible in the time available to compile all the information including costs sought by the Deputy. I have arranged that my officials will forward these details to the Deputy in the coming days.

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