Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Finance to indicate the extent, if any, to which he and or his Department has monitored significant over or under spending for the end of year 2010 in the respective Departments; the reasons given for any such variation emerging; if any further action is contemplated in the event of further departure from budgetary targets in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1363/11]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Current spending was 0.6% or €231 million above profile and capital expenditure was -1.4% or -€82 million below profile.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Taoiseach the cost to his Department from 2007 in respect of providing all computer, hardware and software, in his private and constituency office in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48162/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The cost to my Department from 2007 in respect of providing all computer, hardware and software, in my private and constituency offices is set out below.

The costs outlined above are in respect of PCs allocated to staff in these offices during a Department-wide desktop refresh, the purchase of a scanner and the replacement of a printer.

No new hardware or software was supplied to my Constituency Office in Tullamore. Any hardware replaced in this office was replaced with items with a Nil asset value from existing pre-used stock.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 143: To ask the Taoiseach the details of any standing arrangements or contact between him and a company (details supplied) for the purpose of carrying out cost-benefit analysis on policy changes; the total sum paid in respect of any such arrangement in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48178/10]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 144: To ask the Taoiseach if he will set out any sum of money paid by his Department to a company (details supplied) in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48192/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together.

In 2010, following a public tender process, Indecon International Economic Consultants were awarded the contract to provide technical economic assistance to officials in Government Departments conducting Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIAs) and other technical exercises relating to the Better Regulation agenda. The aim is to help Departments improve the quality of the quantitative assessment of legislative proposals.

In the OECD Report on Better Regulation in Ireland (November 2010), the OECD recognised the need to improve the quality of quantitative analysis conducted in this context and to make greater use of this support. An earlier independent Review of the Operation of RIA, which was published in 2008, also recommended maintaining this support for Departments. Departments must seek the prior approval of the Department of the Taoiseach to avail of this support. In 2010, €13,929.70 was spent under this contract.

Separately, in 2007, following a tender process, Indecon International Economic Consultants conducted a review of the Irish Annuities Market. The Review was undertaken under the auspices of the Partnership Pensions Review Group comprising of representatives of Government Departments, the Pensions Board, IBEC and ICTU, and established under the terms of Towards 2016. The report of this review was published in October 2007. The cost of this review was €133,100.