Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his internal auditors are satisfied with the procurement process used in the purchase of a consultancy service (details supplied); if the process used conforms with the Department of Finance guidelines. [33412/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if value for money has been achieved by his Department in its purchase of a consultancy service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33421/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if any of his officials have attended as VIP guests at a conference organised by a company (details supplied); the locations, dates and costs involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33430/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his knowledge of a consultancy service (details supplied); the number of officials of his Department who are members of this particular programme; the basis on which the decision was taken to subscribe at this level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33439/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of competing companies that were considered in his Department's assessment before a company (details supplied) was granted a programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33448/05]I

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 254, inclusive, together.

The Department of Foreign Affairs does not participate in the Gartner executive programme and, accordingly, the issues of internal audit scrutiny, value for money, membership and numbers of companies competing for this service do not apply. I can confirm that no officials of this Department have attended as VIP guests at the Gartner Expo conference.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has, since 2002, subscribed to Gartner's more basic service, that is, access to the on-line technology research database. The subscription to this specific research service from Gartner was made as the Department was not aware of any other company offering an equivalent information service at that time.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Government awarded contracts from 1995 until 2004 inclusive that overran financially as a result of jobs being incorrectly specified; if the people responsible for the incorrect specifications were held to account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33744/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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In the time available it is not possible to review the detailed specifications of every contract entered into by the Department since 1995. To the best of my knowledge, no contract has overrun financially for the reason specified by the Deputy.

I should explain to the Deputy that for the period 2000 to 2004 alone, the Department entered into contractual arrangements with approximately 500 individuals and organisations. Some 85% of these contracts were entered into by Development Co-operation Ireland and concern contracts mainly for the monitoring, review and evaluation of development programmes and projects in a wide range of sectors, including HIV-AIDS, education, health and rural development.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the number of Government awarded contracts from 1995 until 2004 inclusive that over-ran financially as a result of jobs being incorrectly specified; if the people responsible for the incorrect specifications were held to account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33745/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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There were no contracts that over-ran financially as a result of jobs being incorrectly specified since the establishment of my Department in June 2002.