Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details in tabular form for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012 the total amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department, any body under his aegis or State agency for which he has responsibility; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; the nature of the work concerned; the fees paid to each consultant; if the matter was advertised for competitive tender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45298/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My Department manages expenditure under two Votes - Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 27 (International Co-Operation). It commissions consultancy services where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department and, in the case of Ireland’s official overseas aid programme (Irish Aid), where independent appraisal, audit, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects is required.

Consultancy services are procured in accordance with relevant national and EU rules, which means that all requirements over €25,000 are advertised using the Government procurement portal www.e-tenders.gov.ie . Requirements for less than that amount may be awarded by unadvertised selective tender whereby a number of suitably qualified service providers are asked to submit competitive quotes.

The information requested by the Deputy for the years in question is set out in the following tables.

Table 1: Consultancy Expenditure 2008-2012(YTD)

Table 2 Details: Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs

2008

Table 3: Vote 27 International Cooperation (formerly Vote 29 until 2012)

Nature of the Work Concerned

Engagement of External Expertise for the Purpose of Ireland’s Aid Programme

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012