Written answers

Tuesday, 11 November 2008

Department of Foreign Affairs

Departmental Expenditure

10:00 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an estimate of the cost of legal services which his Department paid for in 2007 and to date in 2008; and if he has satisfied himself that effective measures are in place to minimise this cost. [39312/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Government Departments do not pay for the legal services provided by the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitors Office or for advice from Counsel briefed by them.

My Department has a Legal Division, staffed by qualified legal professionals who provide legal advice on a wide range of international legal issues. Having such 'in-house' legal experts reduces the costs which would be incurred if the Department was to engage externally for similar services. In 2007, the total spend for external legal services at Headquarters was €147,057. To date in 2008, costs of €48,384 have been incurred on such legal fees.

Photo of Lucinda CreightonLucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 407: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of capital projects which have gone over budget in each of the past five years; the original estimate for each of these projects; the final cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39526/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's capital allocation is part of the general administrative budget which supports the work of the Department. It funds such activities as the purchase and maintenance of properties on behalf of the State overseas, the purchase of office equipment, and ICT investment. Two capital projects have gone over budget in the last five years.

Firstly, following a public procurement process, a contract was signed in December 2002 for the development and installation of an Automated Passport System. The budget for this contract was €21.925 million. The final outturn for this project was €27.774 million. The largest component of the additional cost concerned contract change notes, involving the inclusion of additional items which were not included in the original contract. These additional items were considered necessary by the Department as the project advanced. They covered, for instance, the decision of the Department that, arising from the 9/11 situation in the United States, our Embassies and Consulates needed to be able to issue higher quality emergency passports that would meet enhanced US requirements.

In summary, the original price effectively delivered what was agreed in the contract, with the increased costs being due to additions that enabled us to further enhance the passport system. Additional hardware and software was required for this. The costs in relation to the Automated Passport System were comprehensively analysed by the Comptroller and Auditor General and considered in detail by the Public Accounts Committee in 2006.

Secondly, one property project exceeded the estimated cost in the last five years. This related to the Ambassador's Residence in Buenos Aires which underwent major renovations in the period 2005-2007. The initial estimate for the work was €381,369. However, during the course of the initial work, it became evident that the Residence required urgent structural repairs, which went beyond the scope of the original work envisaged. The final cost of the works was approximately €814,000.

I should add that the most recent major project undertaken by the Passport Office, the introduction of the ePassport, was the first project to undergo and be approved by the Government-wide Peer Review Process announced in October 2005. This project, which ensures that Irish citizens continue to enjoy visa free access into the United States, thereby also avoiding visa fees, was completed on time and some €2.7 million under budget.

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