Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 189: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade 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. [25547/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation). I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on all consultant expenditure and commissioning of such work is in full compliance with national and EU procurement regulations. The Department, through Irish Aid (Ireland's official development assistance programme), occasionally commissions outside expertise where the effective management, evaluation and review of the programme necessitates the use of such skills. Elements of the aid programme are highly technical such as the areas of HIV-AIDS, communicable diseases, nutrition, agriculture and others. It is essential if the aid programme is to remain at the cutting edge of development science that it utilises outside expertise from time to time for quality assurance and to provide access to the latest knowledge. Utilising external expertise on a temporary basis can also provide excellent value for money as the skills involved are only utilised on a needs rather than full-time basis.

Consultants are engaged only where specialised knowledge and skills are not available within the Department and where independent appraisal, audit, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects are required. Decisions on the need to commission outside expertise are subject to the establishment of appropriate business cases and an approvals process carried out by the Irish Aid Senior Management Group. National and international regulations are fully complied with in subsequent tendering processes. The level of expenditure on consultancy services is constantly monitored to ensure that it does not exceed the level required for the proper management, oversight, monitoring, evaluation and audit of the aid programme.

The following tables set out the details of consultants engaged by the Department in each of the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the names of consultants engaged in each year and show the significant reduction in contracts sought since 2010.