Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Finance the savings made to date in 2009 yielded from the 8% reduction in professional fees introduced in February 2009; the savings he expects to be made as a result of this 8% reduction in 2009 as a whole; if he expects the €67 million target for 2009 to be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42020/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, in February of this year, the Government decided to pursue a general 8% reduction on fees to legal, medical, veterinary and other professionals engaged by the public service from 1 March 2009. My Department wrote to each Government Department outlining how this decision should be implemented. The savings achieved to date by my Department and the offices under its aegis, together with the estimated additional savings for the remainder of the year, are as follows:

In the time available to answer the question, the Office of Public Works was unable to compile the information sought by the Deputy. However, the information will be compiled by that Office and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

In response to your query as to whether the estimated €67m target for 2009 will be met, the 8% reduction in consultancy and other professional fees forms part of an overall savings package which the Government announced. Measures have been implemented across departments to achieve this level of savings. Other Departments have therefore been requested to respond directly to the Deputy in respect of the implementation of the proposal within their Department and the savings achieved to date.