Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department in 2003, 2004 and 2005; the number of consultants engaged by his Department in those years; and the steps which have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by his Department in these years and for the future. [41727/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department requires a range of skills and expertise to deliver quality services and this is met through a combination of input from the staff of the Department and the engagement of consultants. Broadly expertise is sought under three main headings: 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; Technical consultancies relating to the ongoing development of information technology systems; Consultancy assistance in other areas (for example, policy development).

The table outlines the expenditure on consultancy and the number of projects where consultants were used in the years 2003 to 2005.

My Department is undertaking a major programme of business, organizational and technological change to enable it to modernise the services which it provides to its 1 million customers. It is also engaged in a series of policy reviews in areas. This involves the use of consultants to provide expertise, where it is not sufficiently available within the Department, to support the development and implementation of new and modern technologies in certain instances and research in others.

Given the fast pace of change in society today and in technological development I do not believe that it would be feasible or indeed sensible for my Department to attempt to meet all the areas of skills and expertise necessary for the future from within the organization. The employment of consultants in a planned way to support the needs of the Department will continue in the future so as to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive and efficient service to customers.