Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 801: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the funds spent by his Department since June 1997 on consultants, legal experts and external advice; the number of reports produced under such contracts and the number implemented to date by his Department; the cost of such advice in 2005 and the planned expenditure for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1535/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's activities require the engagement of a range of consultancy expertise. Broadly, expertise is sought under three main headings as follows:

Support with a number of strategic multi-annual programmes aimed at enhancing the delivery of the Department's services e.g. the Service Delivery Modernisation Programme, SDM; Technical consultancies relating to the ongoing development of information technology systems; Consultancy assistance in other areas, including policy development.

The amounts paid by my Department on the engagement of consultants in each year since 1997 is as follows:

These amounts exclude Reach, the Civil Registration Modernisation Programme and the Secure Authentication Framework Environment project, SAFE, which have been financed as cross-departmental projects as part of the Government's e-Government initiative.

It is estimated that an amount of €9,242,000 will be spent by my Department in 2006 in meeting the cost of ongoing projects, principally in connection with the SDM programme, including a document and records information management project and the development of the Department's overpayments and debt management system. This expenditure excludes consultancy on REACH and other inter-departmental e-Government projects.

The detailed information sought by the Deputy regarding reports produced under consultancy contracts is being compiled. A letter will issue to the Deputy in the near future.