Written answers
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Department of Education and Skills
Consultancy Contracts
9:00 pm
Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the numbers of consultants engaged by his Department in those years; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and the steps which have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by his Department in these years and for the future. [25544/12]
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The information requested is outlined on the table. In 2008 my Department established a process to centrally monitor proposals to engage external consultants. As a result of this process consultancy expenditure since 2008 has been kept to a minimum. My Department continues to monitor proposals to engage external consultants with a view to keeping expenditure in this area as low as possible.
| YEAR 2008 | ||
| Consultant Experts & Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost |
| € | ||
| Howarth Consulting | ESOL project - dev. Of English language policy for immigrants | 35,884 |
| Bearing Point; Deloitte & Touche | Learner Database and Review of IT Unit | 56,000 |
| OLM | Development of a Design Safety Management System | 3,630 |
| John McGinty; Patrick Dowling; Pat Ryan | Review of Co-operation Hours Scheme | 49,000 |
| Prof. Iseult McCarthy and Sean McCann | Review Criteria for Award of Hons Degree Allowance-Specialist Tchrs | 17,950 |
| Centre for Cross Border Studies | Report on southern postgrad. students attending NI HEIs | 6,030 |
| Eco Unesco | Strategy in relation to Education for Sustainable Development | 23,305 |
| Insight Statistical Consultancy | Analysis of Guidance Questionnaire for Senior Cycle Students | 4,970 |
| Arthur O'Hagan Solicitors | Fees for legal advice in relation to Inquiry under s. 105 VE Act 1930 | 5,657 |
| Russel Brennan Keane | Audits of ERDF claims for EU Commission | 11,525 |
| Dr. Claire Hayes | Appeal Committee - section 15 of Education (Welfare) Act 2000 | 811 |
| Pauline Gildea | Review of North/South educational exchanges & mechanisms | 5,460 |
| St. Patrick's, Drumcondra | Evaluation of pilot Quality Standards Framework Initiative | 29,290 |
| Insight Statistical Consultancy | Analysis of qualifications of workers in childcare sector | 26,499 |
| Education Disadvantage Centre, St. Patrick's Durmcondra | Review of Adult Ed. literacy assessment tools | 15,000 |
| ESRI Ireland | Dev. of a Geographical Information System for school planning | 58,500 |
| John McBratney Solicitors | Independent legal opinion on alleged abuse case | 105,517 |
| Integrated Risk Solutions | Development of a risk assessment tool for schools | 26,233 |
| Colgan & Associates | Research services re set up of Special Ed. Appeals Board | 40,005 |
| Roy McConkey | Evaluation of pilot project at St. Vincent's, Navan Rd. | 6,400 |
| Gartner ; Butler | IT research and advice | 65,334 |
| Norcontel (Ireland) Ltd | Evaluation of Schools Broadband Access Programme | 74,363 |
| ESRI Ireland | Mapping of schools using geocoordinates | 5,372 |
| Norcontel (Ireland) Ltd | Advice re evaluation & contract for schools broadband procurement | 60,561 |
| 2008 Total: | 733,296 | |
| YEAR 2009 | ||
| Consultant Experts & Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost |
| € | ||
| Norcontel | Schools Broadband Access Programme- Technical, Commercial and Financial Advisor for the Advisor for the Evaluation & Contract Phases of the Procurement of Broadband Internet Connectivity for Schools | 33,959 |
| FGS | Review of overhead/indirect costs re work carried out by Bus Eireann on behalf of DES for the administration of the school transport scheme | 67,677 |
| Centre for Cross Border Studies | 2009 annual review re courses in Northern Ireland | 2,430 |
| Gillian Boyd | To evaluate the provision of a post-graduate Diploma in SEN (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) in St Angela's College, Sligo | 5,000 |
| Russell Brendan Keane | European Regional development fund-Look Back Exercise | 3,742 |
| Gartner | Provision of ICT Research, advice, guidance & related services to the IT Unit | 51,030 |
| 2009 Total: | 163,838 | |
| YEAR 2010 | ||
| Consultant Experts & Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost |
| € | ||
| Centre for Cross Border Studies | 2010 annual review of Post grad courses in Northern Ireland | 2,420 |
| Gartner | Subscription for provision of ICT research, advice, guidance & related services to the IT Unit | 37,026 |
| Ina McGrath | Ergonomic workstation assessment & report | 300 |
| Indecon | Mid term review of the Lifelong Learning Programme & prepare a report for Department of Education & Skills for onward transmission to the European Commission | 59,284 |
| Deloitte | Declaration of Assurance 2009 Audit - to review procedures & workflows in the National Agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme & to provide a basis for the yearly Declaration of Assurance from DOES to the EU Commission | 16,299 |
| Mazars | Review procedures & workflows in the National Agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme & to provide a basis for the yearly Declaration of Assurance from the Department of Education & Skills to the EU Commission | 4,795 |
| Public Authority Pension Services | Expertise relating to the model public service pension scheme to assist in the establishment of a pension scheme for the NCTE | 5,324 |
| 2010 Total: | 125,448 | |
| YEAR 2011 | ||
| Consultant Experts & Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost |
| € | ||
| Centre for Cross Border Studies | 2011 annual review of Post grad courses in Northern Ireland | €2,420.00 |
| Independent panel consisting of 3 people appointed by Secretary General to review the expressions of interest and advise the Minister on designation only 2 for payment Jim Duffy and Pat McLoughlin | The Independent panel shortlisted a number of proposals, made recommendations to the Minister on the preferred proposal for designation of a single awarding authority & made recommendations it considers necessary in relation to modification or development of the preferred proposal for implementation purposes | €1,927.86 |
| Gartner | Subscription for provision of ICT research, advice, guidance & related services to the IT Unit 1/10/2011 -30/09/2012 | €35,150.49 |
| Sr. Eileen Randles | External Reviewer in an appeal against an inspection under section 13 (9) of the Education Act 1998 | €920.00 |
| Dr Simon Marginson | Development & submission to DOES of draft criteria for the proposed re-designation of amalgamated institutes of Technology Universities arising from the recommendations of the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 | €9,075.00 |
| Sir Jim Rose - | To provide international expertise as a member of the Literacy & Numeracy Implementation Advisory Committee and provide advice to the Minister in relation to Literacy & Numeracy for Learning & Life: the National Strategy to Improve Literacy & Numeracy among Children & Young People 2011 -2020 | Mo Money paid in 2011 as per PQ 22526/11 |
| Farrell Grant Sparks | Follow up work and provision of advice in relation to the FGS report | €8,410.71 |
| Forum on Patronage & Pluralism in the Primary Sector-Professor John Coolahan, Dr Caroline Hussey, Fionnuala Kilfeather | Advisory Group to convene the Forum on Patronage & Pluralism in the Primary Sector, to receive and distil the various views and perspectives of participants and to report and advise the Minister | €20,000.00 |
| Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP (PWC) Belfast | Evaluation of the Special Education Support Service established by the Department in 2003 to address the then rather fragmented provision of continuing professional development in the area of special education. | €97,866.01 |
| Goodbody Economic Consultants | Evaluation of the Initial Implementation of Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education | €31,280.92 |
| The PA Consulting Group | Evaluation of the training & education programmes for the unemployed delivered under LMAF 2010 | €52,003.38 |
| Fitzpatrick & Associates | Mid term Evaluation of the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013 | €61,589.00 |
| Deloitte | To carry out audits of the national agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme in Ireland, these will serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of Assurance from International Section to the European Commission | €16,299.00 |
| Public Authority Pension Services Ltd | Pensions advisory work relating to the establishment of a pension scheme for staff of the NCTE | €4,791.60 |
| Analyses Mason | Commercial Financial & Technical Procurement advice for Schools Broadband Tender | €63,632.51 |
| 2011 Total: | 405,366.48 | |
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