Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the amount she intends to spend on consultancy fees in 2011, in particular, those contracted to identify value for money in her Department. [28407/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. The Department is focused on ensuring that all work is carried out in a fashion designed to achieve best value for money in the use of public funds to achieve its objectives.

The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) including the delivery of reports, studies, assessments, recommendations and proposals that contribute to decision making or policy making.

In this regard, the Department expects to spend some €1,100,000 for the engagement of consultants, including business, social inclusion and I.T., in 2011.

The Department is not at present carrying out any Value for Money (VfM) reviews as a result of the Government decision to defer the selection of the 2011 Value for Money reviews, which are agreed by Government each year, pending the outcome of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Comprehensive Review of Expenditure currently being completed.