Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way it is intended to effect the 8% reduction in professional fees in relation to services provided to or funded by her Department in respect of the Government announcement of 3 February 2009; the amount expected to be saved in her Department's budget as a result of this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13351/09]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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On 3 February 2009, the Government decided that it would introduce a general reduction of the order of 8% in professional fees as part of a range of measures to restore stability to the public finances. On the basis of instructions provided by the Department of Finance, my Department issued guidelines for implementing the Government decision across the Department, its Offices and its agencies. In short, the guidelines indicated that all contracts were to be reviewed with a view to reducing the level of fees paid for services rendered to my Department, its Offices and agencies on or after 1 March 2009. Because this exercise is still on-going, it is not possible, at this stage, to forecast the amount which will by saved in my Department's budget for 2009 arising from the reduction in fees.