Written answers
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Department of Education and Skills
Consultancy Contracts Expenditure
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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91. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will indicate, in tabular form, the total expenditure by his Department on external consultancy advice services, including legal services, in 2011 to 2013, inclusive; if this spend is in line with the overall value for money objective of his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10011/14]
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Details in relation to external consultants engaged by my Department in 2011, 2012 and 2013 are set out in the table below. Legal costs incurred by the Department, in connection with cases which are brought to court, are generally not met directly by my Department. In accordance with financial procedures in cases involving damages or compensation against the State, costs are generally charged to the Chief State Solicitor's Office Vote as sanctioned by the Attorney General. Expenditure on legal advice paid for by my Department in the years in question was as follows: 2011 – €24,705.50; 2012 – €10,946.50; 2013 - Nil.
In procuring external professional services it is my Department's policy to achieve value for money while conducting procurement in a fair, open and transparent manner that is fully compliant with EU procurement Directives and national procurement guidelines. I am satisfied that the services in question have been procured in accordance with this policy.
List of Consultants, Experts and Advisors engaged by the Department of Education and Skills 2011-2013
| 2011 Consultants, Experts, Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost € |
|---|---|---|
| Centre for Cross Border Studies | 2011 annual review of Post graduate courses in Northern Ireland | 2420.00 |
| Jim Duffy & Pat McLoughlin members of an independent panel appointed by the Secretary General re designation of a single awarding authority | The independent panel shortlisted a number of proposals, made recommendations to the Minister on the preferred proposal for designation of a single awarding authority and made recommendations it considered 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 |
| Farrell Grant Sparks | Follow up work and provision of advice in relation to the FGS report (redacted report due to commercially sensitive issues in original 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 |
| Analysys Mason | Commercial Financial & Technical Procurement advice for Schools Broadband Tender | €63,632.51 |
| Grant Thornton | External audit of Dell and Waterford Crystal EGF programmes | €5,445.00 |
2011 Total: | €410,811.48 |
| YEAR 2012 Consultants, Experts, Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost € |
|---|---|---|
| Analysys Mason | Commercial, financial and technical advice on the procurement of broadband services for schools | €52,040.42 |
| Goodbody Economic Consultants | Evaluation of the Initial Implementation of Síolta, the National Quality framework for Early Childhood Education | €16,747.68 |
| Mazars | IT Security Audit of the EUSF IT Database | €5,063.91 |
| Mazars | Audit of Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF) | €9,839.14 |
| Version 1 | Provision of Oracle Financials training support along with training documentation in the implementation of Performance Budgeting | €2,070.00 |
| Mokum Change Management Ltd | Provision of Oracle Financials training support along with training documentation in the implementation of Performance Budgeting | €17,302.88 |
| Seamus O'Dwyer-Consulting and Training | Training and expert advice relating to the Public Service Pensions Bill | €2,700.00 |
| Sydney Blain | Review of an appeal against an inspection under section 13(9) of the Education Act | €718.75 |
| Mokum Change Management Ltd | Provision of Oracle Financials functional & accounting advice in moving from a four vote operating unit to a single operating unit | €11,606.90 |
| Sir Jim Rose | Provision of international expertise on Literacy & Numeracy to the Literacy & Numeracy Implementation Advisory Committee | €3,870.13 |
| Gartner | Subscription for provision of ICT research, advice, guidance & related services to the IT Unit | €36,788.67 |
| Sion Quality Healthcare Solutions | Completion of a workplace assessment for staff member with a disability and resulting report | €370.00 |
| Pat McLoughlin | Chair of Independent Panel re the establishment of the single grant awarding authority | €83.66 |
| The Centre for Cross Border Studies | 2012 review paper of Republic of Ireland post graduates in Norhtern Ireland | €1,845.00 |
| Deloitte | Preparation of a Declaration of Assurance in respect of the Lifelong Learning Programme | €16,568.10 |
2012 Total: | €177,615.24 |
| 2013 Consultants,Experts, Advisors | Purpose | Total Cost € |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Tony Crooks | External Reviewer in a review of an inspection report of Rath na nOg High Support Unit under Section 13(9) of the Education Act 1998. | €460.00 |
| The Centre for Cross Border Studies | 2013 review paper on Republic of Ireland postgraduates in Northern Ireland | €1,845.00 |
| Accenture | Consulting services in relation to the Management Framework Agreement (SUSI MOU agreement with City of Dublin Education & Training Board and the Department of Education & Skills for the centralised Administration of Student Grants which was signed in October 2013 | €5,904.00 |
| University of Birmingham on behalf of Dr Mike Linden | Review of Role, Organisation & Management of Visiting Teachers for children with hearing & Visual Impairment (VTHVI) Service, Ireland | €10,947.00 |
| Mokum Change Management Ltd (IT consultancy) | Performance Budgeting consultancy fees for Jan and Feb 2013 and T & S for July 2012. (IT consultancy) | €2,169.14 |
| Gartner (IT consultancy) | IT Leaders Advisor Subscription 07/2013 to 06/2014 including credit in respect of 07-08/2013. Provision of ICT Research, advice, guidance and related services to the IT Unit | €41,061.50 |
| Padraig McNamara (retired CEO of State Examinations Commission) | External Reviewer required in respect of school services for autistic children. To review historic funding and financial arrangements for Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) centres funded by DES and recommend actions to reconcile outstanding account balance issues. To review any current residual financial difficulties being experienced by the 13 schools in question. To submit observations & advise on a suggested course of action for the Department | €0.00* |
| Deloitte | To assist the Department in devising a new organisational design for Education & Training Boards (ETBs) and SOLAS | €0.00* |
| Deloitte | To provide external expert assistance, advice and support for the creation of a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) & implementation roadmap for an integrated payroll shared service for the ETB/SPLAS sector in line with the shared services commitments set out in the Government's Public ServiceReform Plan 17/11/11. This exercise also supports the Department's new Shared Service plan | €0.00* |
| Educational Research Centre | Consultancy Services to provide input to ICT Census of Primary, Post Primary and special schools and analysis of census data | €0.00* |
| Public Authority Pensions Services Ltd | Pensions Advisory work relating to the establishment of a pension scheme for the staff of the NCTE | €2,152.50 |
| Fitzpatricks Associates/AECON | Ex-Ante Evaluation of the ESF Operational Programme in preparation for the period 2014-2020 | €0.00* |
| Mazars | External Auditing services | €0.00* |
| Deloitte | To carry out audits of the national agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme in Ireland, and, from 2015, for the new Erasmus + programme. These will serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of Assurance from the Department to the European Commission. In 2014, Audits need to be undertaken in respect of the 2013 activities of the national agencies in advance of submission of the 2013 Declaration in Q 2 of this year | €22,463.49 |
| Seamus O'Dwyer Consulting & Training | Provision of training & advice relating to the Public Service Pensions Bill | €200.00 |
| Stratigos Ltd | Provision of customised Business Process Improvement training to include coaching (with provision of advice) of relevant staff | €4,428.00 |
| Version 1 | Shared Financial Services Project - provision of Oracle Financials support to set up purchasing module | €4,674.00 |
2013 Total: | €96,304.63 |
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