Written answers
Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation
Departmental Reports
7:00 pm
Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the name and number of external reports that were commissioned by his Department from 2004 to 2008 in tabular form; the cost of each one of these external reports; if these external reports were given out to tender; the name of the person or company who was commissioned for these external reports; his views of the benefits that these external reports served the public interest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21414/11]
Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy with regard to the external reports commissioned by previous Ministers in the Department from 2004 to 2008 is provided in tabular format. In the five year period, forty one reports were carried out at a total cost to the Department of €4,503,136.
In general, external reports are required, in the main, where the necessary expertise is not available within the Department or where there is a requirement to have an independent external valuation of a particular programme or policy area. As is clear from the information provided, with the exception of a small number of reports in specialist subject areas, the Department complied with the applicable tendering requirements where the amount was in excess of the threshold of €25k, which is the limit specified within the Department of Finance Public Procurement Guidelines for undertaking a formal tendering process. When commissioning reports that fall under the relevant threshold, standard practice in the Department is that at least three quotations are obtained.
In general, the commissioning of such reports contributes to the compilation of necessary evidence for the formulation of policy proposals which balance the needs of relevant stakeholders against the resources available to Government. On this basis, and given that the appropriate tendering procedures were followed in each case, I believe that the commissioning of these reports served the public interest. The Department advises that these reports were commissioned on the basis that the relevant Ministers were satisfied as to their contribution to the public interest.
Reports Commissioned by the
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: 2004 – 2008
2004
| Name of Report Commissioned by Dept | Report Produced by | Objectives of Report | Cost (€) | Comment |
| Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity Plan | Helm Consultancy | To develop a Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity Plan for the Department | €84,172 | Tendering procedure used |
| Evaluation of the expenditure review of Enterprise Ireland's overseas office network and separate Evaluation of the IDA Property Programme | Prof. Helen O'Neill | An independent evaluation of the expenditure review report on IDA Ireland's Property Programme and separate independent evaluation of the expenditure review of Enterprise Ireland's overseas office network | €1,936 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| Analysis of the findings of questionnaires regarding the Enterprise Ireland overseas office networks and Department of Foreign Affairs missions | Ms. Tara Downer | In the context of the expenditure review of Enterprise Ireland's overseas offices network, an analysis of the findings of questionnaires regarding the agency's overseas office networks and Department of Foreign Affairs missions. | €3,000 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| Expenditure Review of IDAIreland's Property Programme | DTZ Pieda Consultancy and DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald | To provide an analysis of the role of property in attracting foreign direct investment. | €62,500 (consultancy fees) plus printing | Tendering procedure used |
| Usability Report of the Department's website | Ennis Information Age Services | Audit of the Department's website. | €7,139 | Tendering procedure used |
| Customer Care Research | IPA and TNS/MRBI | Customer Care Research for the Department. | €78,752 | Tendering procedure used |
| Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) The First Years 2001-2005 | Report of an International Evaluation Panel | Evaluation of SFI. | (Cost borne by Forfás) | Tendering procedure used |
| Consumer Strategy Group (CSG) Report - " Make Consumers Count"(including studies commissioned by the CSG) | A number of different consultants and supply / service companies were engaged by the Group during it's lifetime to undertake work in respect of research, advertising, publications, web, etc. | The Consumer Strategy Group was appointed in March 2004 to advise and make recommendations for the development of a national consumer policy strategy. | €485,172 | Tendering procedure used |
| Total | €722,671 |
2005
| Name of Report Commissioned by Dept | Report Produced by | Objectives of Report | Cost (€) | Comment |
| Outcome of Consultations regarding the Employment Rights Bodies Group Report | Transition Management | To report on consultations with employment rights bodies and social partners | €11,616 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| An Assessment of the Increase in the Minimum Wage recommended by the Labour Court in 2005. | ESRI | Assessment of recommended increase to the minimum wage | €10,000 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| ESRI survey and report on the national minimum wage (NMW) | ESRI | To report on the results of the follow up survey on the NMW | €139,000 (this is the cost of survey and report) | The ESRI had carried out 3 previous surveys on the NMW which were tendered for – only 1 other company tendered for those projects. ESRIs methodology best suited the requirements set down. The proposal to award the contract was reviewed in accordance with D/Finance Circular 40/02. |
| Final Evaluation Report of Productive Sector Operational Programme (PSOP) 2000 – 2006 | Fitzpatrick Associates | Compliance with EU Regulatory Requirements | €74,415 | Tendering procedure used |
| Compliance with Company Law and the impact of the operations of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) | llward Browne | To discover levels of compliance with Company Law and the impact of the operations of the ODCE. | €27,862 | Tendering procedure used |
| Total | €262,893 |
2006
| Name of Report Commissioned by Dept | Report Produced by | Objectives of Report | Cost (€) | Comment |
| An Assessment of the Increase in the Minimum Wage recommended by the Labour Court in 2006. | ESRI | Assessment of recommended increase in the Minimum Wage | €15,000 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| Audit of Patents Office Computer Systems | Tekenable | Conduct an auditof the PatentsOffice computer system to identify and quantify the benefits to be achieved by moving to latest technology. | €2,420 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| Report on the Economic Impact Assessment of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Legislation. | Indecon | To report on the economic impact of occupational health and safety legislation and its effect on competitiveness and the economy. | €122,048(includes printing costs). | Tendering procedure used |
| Total | €139,468 |
2007
| Name of Report Commissioned by Dept | Report produced by | Objectives of Report | Cost (€) | Comment |
| Review of the Operation of the National Employment Rights Authority's (NERA) Information Services | Vision Consultancy | To make recommendations on the structures, processes and systems that should operate in NERA's Information Unit in order to achieve the highest possible standard of excellence in terms of meeting customer needs. | €95,711 | Tendering procedure used |
| Security Review | RITS | To conduct an Information Security Review of the Department's ICT Systems and to make appropriate recommendations | €118,928 | Tendering procedure used |
| Business Process Review | Vision 1 Software | To carry out a Business Process Review of the Department's Insolvency Payments Section and to make appropriate recommendations | €20,364 | Tendering procedure used |
| Market Research for Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement | llward Browne IMS | To ascertain an overview of the company law compliance environment and the performance of the Office in the discharge of its functions. | €44,790 in 2007,€15,898 in 2008 | Tendering procedure used |
| Value for Money Review of Science Foundation Ireland(SFI) | Indecon economic consultants | To examine SFI's major funding programmes as part of the Government's Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative. | €189,038 | Tendering procedure used |
| Communications Strategy for Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement | Keating and Associates | To develop and advise on a Communications Strategy for ODCE | €32,670 | Tendering procedure used |
| Bullying in the Workplace – Survey Reports, 2007. | Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). | 2 national surveys were carried out to establish an update picture of workplace bullying in Ireland both in terms of the incidence of bullying for those in work and also to explore how organisations viewed the problem of bullying in their workplaces. | €277,006 (this was the combined total cost of the production of the 2 surveys, which were published in one report, includes printing costs). | Tendering procedure used |
| Total | €794,405 |
2008
| Name of Report Commissioned by Dept | Report Produced by | Objectives of Report | Cost (€) | Comment |
| Data Backup and Storage Review | Computer Associates | To review the Department's Data Backup and Storage environment and produce a report with recommendations. | €13,750 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| Business Process Review | Version 1 | To prepare a report on the Insolvency Payments Section Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) | €13,177 | Tendering procedure used |
| Project Management Review | Trigraph Professional Services | Review of ICT Unit Project Management Procedures & Practices | €2,995 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| IT Security Reviews | RITS | 3 ICT Technical Reports on laptop encryption, the Department's financials application and scans of on-line systems | €17,669 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| IT Security Review | RITS | Report of the forensics analysis of the European Structural Fund (ESF) website | €2,580 | Below threshold for public advertising of contract |
| Companies Registration Office (CRO) Business Process Engineering Review (BPR) | Grant Thornton | BPR of the CRO | €71,874 | Tendering procedure used |
| Review of Research, Development and Technological Innovation (RTDI) projects in receipt of EU Structural Funds | Contract-auditline (CAL) | Compliance with EU Regulatory Requirements | €38,130 | Tendering procedure used |
| Health and Safety Active Monitoring Reports (Safety Audits) on each of the Department's buildings | Corporate Risk Strategies Ltd. | The identify any risks/hazards in the Department and its Offices and to suggest control measures to be put in place to eliminate these risks so far as is reasonably practical. | €24,200 | Tendering procedure used |
| Website Evaluation Report | IQ Content Ltd | Review of the Department's website. | €41,261 | Tendering procedure used |
| Evaluation of Discover Science and Engineering (DSE) Programme | Independent panel of experts chaired by Dr.Graham Farmello | To ensure that the DSE Programme remains strategically relevant and operationally efficient. | €52,541 (Represents half of the cost of the report, with the balance paid by Forfás) | Tendering procedure used |
| Report of the Advisory Group on Media Mergers | PriceWaterhouseCoopers/Emily Egan | To review the legislative framework in relation to the public interest aspects of media mergers and to make recommendations as appropriate. | €33,732 | Tendering procedure used |
| Review of the Regulation of Petroleum Handling and Storage Facilities | ARUP Consulting Engineers | To support the Department in its review of Dangerous Substances legislation. | €145,301 | Tendering procedure used |
| Report of Investigation of Bovale Developments | PwC Dublin | The ODCE initiated director disqualification proceedings based in part on this Report.The ODCE is satisfied that this Report and the ongoing legal action is serving the public interest. | €570,924 | Contract awarded following interview process among several accountancy firms who were on the ODCE's Panel of Accountancy Firms. |
| Report of Company Investigation (company name withheld until the legal proceedings commence) | PwC Belfast | The ODCE initiated director disqualification proceedings arising from its examination of this Report. These proceedings may be listed for hearing later this year. The ODCE is satisfied that this Report and the ongoing legal action is serving the public interest. | €155,565It was carried out and paid for over 3 financial years.2007 = €17,7932008 = €64,1302009 = €73,642 | The Contractor in question had already completed an examination of the company under investigation, and was therefore the only firm qualified to undertake the assignment for the Office. |
| Report of the High Court Inspector into certain matters at DCC plc, S&L investments Ltd and Lotus Green Ltd. | Mr Bill Shipsey SC | The published Inspector's Report clarified the circumstances surrounding the share dealings in question. The ODCE is satisfied that this Report served the public interest. | €1.4 million (2008-2010) | Tendering procedure used |
| Report on the Investigation into Petrol and Diesel Price Movements | National Consumer Agency | At the request of the then Tánaiste, the National Consumer Agency undertook to survey why pump prices for petrol and diesel had not fallen in line with the drop in the wholesale price of oil. | Cost borne by the National Consumer Agency | Not applicable |
| Grocery Monitor Reports Numbers 1, 2 and 3. A Description of the Structure & Operation of Grocery Retailing & Wholesaling in Ireland 2001-2008 | Competition Authority | Following the repeal of the Restrictive Practices (Groceries) Order 1987, the Competition Authority was requested to review and monitor developments in the grocery sector in light of the new regulatory environment. | Cost borne by the Competition Authority. | Not applicable |
| Report on The Cost of Running Retail Operations in Ireland | Forfás | At the request of the then Tánaiste, Forfás examined the comparative costs of running retail operations in a number of cities in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands. | Cost borne by Forfás | Not applicable |
| Total | €2,583,699 |
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