Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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415. To ask the Minister for Health the total amount spent on external IT consultants by his Department in 2010 to 2013, inclusive, and to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49173/14]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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416. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has re-negotiated external IT consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49188/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 416 together.

My Department operates a shared ICT service which, in addition to supporting the business of the Department of Health also provides IT support for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Adoption Authority of Ireland and the Ombudsman for Children. While my Department does engage external contractors for specific services, such as software development and network support, it does not engage external consultants in relation to IT and, consequently, the issue of renegotiating does not arise. Contracts for operational ICT work are re-tendered on a regular basis.