Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the consultants who carried out work for his Department or for any body under the auspices of his Department during 2007; if each consultant was an individual or a firm; the amount earned by each consultant in 2007; the basis of the calculation of same; the rate per hour, day, week, month or other period payable in each case; if in each case the consultant was engaged to prepare a report or to carry out work; if in the case of a report being prepared the report has been published; if not, when the report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14107/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes — Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). The following tables set out the names of consultants (both firms and individuals) used by the Department in 2007 and the amounts paid by the Department in each case. The table also indicates the consultants who provided services only, those who produced reports, and whether the reports were published. It should be noted that some consultancies commenced in 2007 may not finalise reports until 2008.

With regard to the rates and fees charged by consultants, I should point out that these services are procured by way of advertised competitive tendering and the market determines the rates in each case. In accordance with the Department of Finance Guidelines on the Engagement of Consultants and Other External Support by the Civil Service, it is the Department's standard practice to require the submission of fixed price lump sum tenders for all consultancy projects. With regard to bodies under the auspices of my Department, the Irish Aid Advisory Board and the Hunger Task Force commissioned consultancies in 2007 and the relevant details are included in the table for Vote 29.

I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on consultancy expenditure. The Department commissions consultancies only where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department and, particularly in the case of Irish Aid (Ireland's official development assistance programme), where an independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. Given the overall scale of the Irish Aid Programme, this level of monitoring, review and evaluation is both prudent and proportionate.