Written answers
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Departmental Expenditure
2:00 pm
Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide an itemised list of payments made to external solicitors and to external barristers whose services were procured directly by the Department and by each agency and body under its aegis in the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; the reason for each such procurement; if such services were procured through competitive tendering processes in every instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40936/10]
Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy in relation to my Department and the State bodies funded from its Vote Group is provided in the accompanying table. In each case, the services of external solicitors and external barristers were procured to provide essential legal advice, legal opinion or to carry out specialist legal work where the legal expertise required was not available in-house. In cases where a competitive tendering process was not held, this generally arose where the solicitor or barrister had extensive, specialist knowledge of a particular area. A number of appointments were also made following consultation with the Attorney General's Office.
In relation to payments made by the Equality Authority, Equality Tribunal, the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Western Development Commission, it has not been possible to compile this information within the time available. I am arranging for the remainder of the material to be provided directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
Body / Agency Name | Name of Solicitor/Barrister | Amount Paid2007 | Amount Paid2008 | Amount Paid2009 | Amount Paid2010 to date | Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held? | |
Department of Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs | A & L Goodbody | Nil | Nil | â¬6,094 | Nil | No | |
Alexander J Ownes | â¬21,614 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Seán à Cearbhaill | Nil | â¬61 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Commissioner of Charitable Donations and Bequests | Margetson Greene | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬33,475 | No | |
Maxwells | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬800 | No | ||
Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬2,950 | No | |||
â¬484 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | |||
Dormant Accounts Board | James O'Reilly | â¬1,210 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | |
KMB Solicitors | â¬1,906 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Maples & Calder | Nil | â¬5,117 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Ãdarás na Gaeltachta | Brian Conroy | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,512 | Yes | |
Ciara O' Callaghan | Nil | Nil | â¬2,250 | Nil | Yes | ||
Dáithà Mac Cárthaigh | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬647 | Yes | ||
Ercus Stewart | â¬1,525 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Ercus Stewart | Nil | â¬5,445 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Garrett Simons | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬2,420 | Yes | ||
George Brady | â¬1,815 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
George Brady | Nil | â¬2,420 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
George Brady | Nil | Nil | â¬1,823 | Nil | Yes | ||
George Brady | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬4,840 | Yes | ||
George Brady | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬908 | Yes | ||
George Brady | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,210 | Yes | ||
Geraldine Glynn | â¬5,266 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Geraldine Glynn | Nil | Nil | â¬1,628 | Nil | Yes | ||
Geraldine Glynn | Nil | Nil | â¬182 | Nil | Yes | ||
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬911 | Nil | Yes | ||
Purtill Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬250 | Yes | ||
Quinn Dillon & Co. M Solicitors | Nil | â¬1,994 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
RDJ Glynn Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬3,630 | Yes | ||
Ãna Tighe | â¬1,452 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Ãna Tighe | â¬545 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Ãna Tighe | Nil | â¬23,172 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
An Coimisinéir Teanga | Antóin de Lap | â¬6,302 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | |
Antóin de Lap | Nil | â¬6,899 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Antóin de Lap | Nil | Nil | â¬7,859 | Nil | Yes | ||
Antóin de Lap | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,948 | Yes | ||
Séamus à Tuathail | â¬4,515 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Séamus à Tuathail | Nil | â¬4,384 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Séamus à Tuathail | Nil | Nil | â¬4,391 | Nil | Yes | ||
Séamus à Tuathail | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬918 | Yes | ||
National Advisory Committee on Drugs | Philip Lee Solicitors | â¬14,633 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | |
Nil | â¬9,970 | Nil | Nil | No | |||
Nil | Nil | â¬2,178 | Nil | No | |||
Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,403 | No | |||
Waterways Ireland | Andrew Crean-Lynch Solicitor | Nil | â¬27,915 | Nil | Nil | Yes | |
ARTHUR COX | Nil | â¬12,571 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
ARTHUR COX | â¬6,529 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Carson McDowell | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,197 | Yes | ||
Copeland McCaffrey Solicitors | â¬3,649 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Copeland McCaffrey Solicitors | Nil | â¬36,203 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Elliott Duffy Garrett | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,050 | Yes | ||
Elliott Duffy Garrett | Nil | Nil | â¬130 | Nil | Yes | ||
Elliott Duffy Garrett | Nil | â¬1,767 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
FJ Gearty & Co Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬1,013 | Yes | ||
Kerin, Hickman & O'Donnell Solicitors | â¬801 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Legal Euro One Off Supplier* | â¬10,470 | â¬12,841 | â¬29,416 | â¬9,455 | Yes | ||
Legal Sterling One Off Supplier* | Nil | Nil | â¬669 | Nil | Yes | ||
LK Shields Solicitors | â¬29,217 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
LK Shields Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬4,880 | Yes | ||
LK Shields Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬67,965 | Nil | Yes | ||
LK Shields Solicitors | Nil | â¬57,300 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Lucas Associates | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬616 | Yes | ||
Lucas Associates | Nil | Nil | â¬7,639 | Nil | Yes | ||
Mason Hayes & Curran | Nil | Nil | â¬4,485 | Nil | Yes | ||
Mason Hayes & Curran | â¬54,114 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Mason Hayes & Curran | Nil | â¬16,936 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Matheson Ormsby Prentice | â¬11,342 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Matheson Ormsby Prentice | Nil | â¬10,213 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors | â¬40,159 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬6,508 | Yes | ||
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬13,682 | Nil | Yes | ||
McCann FitzGerald Solicitors | Nil | â¬7,941 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Morgan Mc Manus Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬46,592 | Yes | ||
Morgan Mc Manus Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬229,595 | Nil | Yes | ||
Morgan Mc Manus Solicitors | â¬32,807 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Morgan Mc Manus Solicitors | Nil | â¬48,522 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬53,763 | Yes | ||
Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors | Nil | â¬30,575 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors | â¬26,463 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬38,515 | Nil | Yes | ||
P O'Connor and Son | â¬363 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
P O'Connor and Son | Nil | â¬11,807 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
** Payments to several payees where individual supplier details are not kept electronically | |||||||
An Foras Teanga', comprising: | |||||||
Ulster-Scots Agency | Johns Elliot | Nil | â¬13,584 | Nil | Nil | No | |
Johns Elliot | Nil | Nil | â¬163 | Nil | No | ||
Foras na Gaeilge | Barry Mulqueen | â¬5,400 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | |
Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | â¬13,250 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | Nil | â¬4,913 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬10,910 | Nil | No | ||
Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬16,216 | No | ||
Gearóid Mac Unfraidh | â¬908 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Gearóid Mac Unfraidh | Nil | Nil | â¬255 | Nil | No | ||
Gearóid Mac Unfraidh | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬7,360 | No | ||
Mason Hayes Curran | Nil | Nil | â¬38,762 | Nil | No | ||
O' Hare Solicitors | â¬15,264 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Peter Ward | Nil | Nil | â¬638 | Nil | No | ||
Philip Lee Solicitors | â¬23,885 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Philip Lee Solicitors | Nil | â¬6,067 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Reddy Charlton McKnight | Nil | Nil | â¬68,812 | Nil | No | ||
Séamas à Tuathail | â¬545 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Séamas à Tuathail | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬10,496 | No | ||
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge | Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | â¬363 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | |
F.G McCarthy Solicitors | â¬1,421 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Mullaneys Solicitors | â¬605 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Sweeney McGann | â¬6,534 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge** | Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | Nil | â¬5,445 | Nil | Nil | No | |
Edge Manning & Co Solicitors | Nil | Nil | â¬1,337 | Nil | No | ||
Gearóid Mac Unfraidh | Nil | â¬605 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Sweeney McGann | Nil | â¬11,158 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
** Successor programme following abolition of Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge | |||||||
National Disability Authority | A L Goodbody | â¬46,988 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | |
A L Goodbody | â¬22,763 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
A L Goodbody | Nil | â¬14,740 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
A L Goodbody | Nil | â¬5,675 | Nil | Nil | No | ||
A L Goodbody | Nil | Nil | â¬2,751 | Nil | No | ||
A L Goodbody | Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬4,527 | No | ||
Beauchamps | â¬12,100 | Nil | Nil | Nil | No | ||
Beauchamps | Nil | â¬17,327 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Beauchamps | Nil | â¬7,089 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Beauchamps | Nil | â¬1,791 | Nil | Nil | Yes | ||
Beauchamps | Nil | Nil | â¬459 | Nil | No | ||
BCM Hanby Wallace | Nil | Nil | â¬7,108 | Nil | Yes | ||
Family Support Agency | A+L Goodbody Solicitors | â¬20,907 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Yes | |
Nil | â¬39,217 | Nil | Nil | ||||
Nil | Nil | â¬16,644 | Nil | ||||
Nil | Nil | Nil | â¬20,247 | ||||
Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in implementing each specific recommendation of the Special Group on Public Sector Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes report that pertains to his Department in tabular form; the savings achieved in relation to each specific recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40954/10]
Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As I recently advised the Deputy, the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes presented a set of options to reduce expenditure and staff numbers across the public sector. These options were considered by the Government in the context of the 2010 Budget.
Gross savings of some â¬57 million, or almost 12%, were achieved in the 2010 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) for the Vote of the then Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, relative to the 2009 REV. While the allocations in most expenditure programmes were reduced, the primary concern was to protect as much as possible the daily front-line services being funded through my Department, especially those focused on the needs of the most socially deprived communities.
With regard to the reduction in staff numbers, the Government's moratorium on staff recruitment and promotion and other associated measures, including the incentivised early retirement scheme, have achieved, and continue to achieve, reductions in staff numbers across my Department and relevant agencies.
In terms of specific recommendations by the Special Group, one key recommendation was predicated on my Department being dissolved and its functions transferred to other Departments. Other recommendations related to the abolition or transfer between Departments of specified functions. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that, as part of the restructuring of Departments and agencies announced in March last by the Taoiseach to ensure greater coherence and produce more efficient delivery, my Department has taken over responsibility for (i) social inclusion policy and family policy from the Department of Social Protection and (ii) equality, disability, integration and human rights from the Department of Justice and Law Reform.
In relation to other recommendations by the Special Group, the Deputy should note that:
The funding of a number of programmes referred to is subject to ongoing consideration of options in the context of the forthcoming Budget;
The Government's key objective in the cohesion process at this time is to ensure greater efficiencies and value for money through the new Local and Community Development Programme. The Programme will be subject to robust monitoring and evaluation and will be implemented through a single delivery structure in each area from January next year. The consolidation/reduction of other structures under my Department's remit will be reviewed over the coming period;
The future of the Western Development Commission remains under consideration in the context of the ongoing general review of enterprise structures;
It is anticipated that the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill, which will, inter alia, dissolve the Dormant Accounts Board will be published during the present parliamentary session;
Options in relation to the future functions of the Family Support Agency are under review and proposals relating to the reallocation of some functions of the Equality Tribunal will fall to be considered in the context of the review of the equality and human rights bodies currently under way;
Responsibility for the Community Services Programme has transferred to the Department of Social Protection;
The Gaeltacht Housing Grant Scheme was suspended in April 2009. While existing commitments under the scheme continue to be met, no new commitments have been created since that time; and
Other issues with regard to the funding of Irish language/Gaeltacht programmes and the future role of Ãdarás na Gaeltachta are subject to ongoing consideration in the context of both the forthcoming Budget and the anticipated publication of the 20-year Strategy for Irish. The draft Strategy has been subject to review by the relevant Oireachtas Committee and it is anticipated that the matter will be re-submitted to Government in the coming period.
In light of the foregoing, the Deputy will appreciate that any calculation of savings arising would be premature at this stage.
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