Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the potential savings to the Exchequer by reducing professional fees paid by the State by 25%. [24276/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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In the recently published 2011 Revised Estimates for my Department approximately €127,000 has been set aside for expenditure on consultancy and other services in my Department. If a 25% reduction applied to this allocation this would give potential savings of €31,750.

In relation to expenditure in 2010 on professional fees by agencies under the aegis of my Department the following outlines the position of each:-

Valuation Office

Based on the 2010 expenditure the potential savings of a 25% reduction in professional fees to the Valuation Office would be €57,860.

Office of the Ombudsman

In 2010 expenditure on professional fees (consultancy and legal) for the Office of the Ombudsman amounted to €505,000. A 25% reduction in fees paid would have resulted in savings of €126,250.

State Laboratory

In 2010 expenditure on professional services the State Laboratory was €13,243. A 25% reduction in fees paid would have resulted in savings of €3,311.

Public Appointments Service

Based on the 2010 expenditure if professional fees were reduced by 25%, the savings would be €2,530 (based on expenditure incurred for internal audit reports).

Commission for Public Service Appointments

Based on the 2010 expenditure there would be a saving of €16,000 if a 25% was taken by reducing professional fees in the Commission for Public Service Appointments.

Office of Public Works

The total paid by the Office of Public Works in respect of professional fees in 2010 was €20,906,305 (VAT inclusive). A 25% reduction in fees paid would have resulted in savings of €5,226,576.

The Deputy should be aware that the figures include fees some of which are determined by legislation, regulation, contract etc and a reduction of these fees may require agreement of the parties concerned.

The Deputy should also note, that expenditure in relation to professional fees in 2010 for my Department are covered by material provided by the Department of Finance in respect of that year given that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was not officially established until last July.