Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide detail in tabular form, the names of all external public relations and consultancy persons and organisations used by his Department for the years 2011 and 2010; the amount paid to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37505/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will detail in tabular form, the amount paid on external public relations and communications consultants since February 2011; the reason for the payment; the name of each organisation used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37538/12]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will detail in tabular form, the amount paid to consultants since February 2011; the name of each organisation used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37554/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 968, 970 and 971 together.

The total amount of expenditure by my Department from its consultancy services and value for money and policy reviews budget in the years 2010 and 2011 and for the first eight months of 2012 is set out in table 1.

My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief, and procurement of specialist consultancy advice is necessary to enable the Department to discharge its responsibility in this regard. This includes major projects such as an intensive and nationwide campaign on Digital Switchover, strategic review of oil refining capability, complex telecommunications contracts such as the MANs and the National Broadband Scheme, and oversight of compliance with the Corrib consent conditions (the cost of which is recouped from the developer). In procuring these specialised services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary. In this regard, the Deputy might note that expenditure from my Department’s consultancy services and value for money and policy reviews budget has reduced from €2.249m in 2008 to €1.372m in 2011.

The Department also necessarily incurs some expenditure on outsourced services as part of programme expenditure, an element of which is consultancy in nature. The overall spend for this consultancy element is set out in table 2.

My Department will continue to keep spending on all consultancies to a minimum consistent with ensuring the necessary expertise is available to discharge the Department’s wide and complex brief.

Details of expenditure on consultancy is set out in the tables.

Table 1.

Table2

Administrative Consultancy Expenditure in 2010:

Programme Consultancy Expenditure in 2010:

Administrative Consultancy Expenditure in 2011:

Programme Consultancy Expenditure in 2011:

Administrative Consultancy Expenditure in 2012:

Programme Consultancy Expenditure in 2012: