Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Defence the expenditure by his Department on consultants to date in 2008; and if he will compare this to the expenditure on consultants for each of the past five years. [19496/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the table that follows.

I wish to state also that there is an ongoing capital building programme in my Department designed to modernise the living, training, operational and accommodation facilities available to the Defence Forces, both Permanent and Reserve. There has been an unprecedented level of spending on the programme to date with over €250 million spent since 1999. This year will see a further €26 million invested in the programme.

As a result of this significant increase in the building programme Consultants with appropriate expertise are engaged by the Department as necessary to provide technical services in connection with building and engineering projects. It should be noted that (as per Comptroller and Auditor General, Report on Value for Money "Consultancies in the Civil Service" 1998) such design and engineering consultancies for capital projects are better examined in association with the construction projects to which they relate. The Department spends approximately €2m annually on Construction Consultants Fees.