Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 140: To ask the Taoiseach the amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department in 2006 and 2007; the numbers of consultants engaged by his Department in those years; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42583/08]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Details of the amount of expenditure on consultancy by my Department in the years 2006 and 2007, the numbers of consultants engaged and the names of the consultancy companies is set out below. In 2007, my Department and the Bodies under the aegis of my Department, engaged 19 consultants at a cost of €570,258. The breakdown is as follows.

In 2006, my Department engaged 17 consultants at a cost of €387,383. The names of the consultants are as follows:

Spend by my Department on Consultancy services is minimal. However, where it is necessary to engage consultants in order to avail of their particular expertise or experience, the procurement of consultancy services is subject to Public Procurement Guidelines and, where applicable, EU procurement rules and guidelines, with selection criteria geared to select the most economically advantageous tender. It is also our policy that skills-transfer from consultants to Departmental staff takes place as an integral part of all consultancy engagements. The purpose of this is to increase the knowledge and expertise of Departmental staff and to reduce and, if possible, eliminate further dependance on consultants in the areas concerned.