Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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226. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount spent on external IT consultants by his Department in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49164/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The information requested by the Deputy can be found in the attached table. The IT consultancy engagements concerned relate to quarterly independent assessments of the Department’s IT security measures as required for EU accreditation purposes and biannual independent security review of the Department's IT infrastructure. An independent review of all the Geographical Information based computer systems (GIS) in my Department was also carried out as this is an integral part of the effective and efficient administration of our EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) based payment schemes. In addition, my Department has a number of contracts in place for contractors in roles for ICT infrastructure technical support and for contract programming resources, which have been tendered at various points since March 2011, using open EU tendering procedures.

The total amount spent on external IT consultants in each year is as follows:

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [49179/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department awards a contract for ICT security consultancy services on an ongoing two year basis. The service consists of quarterly independent assessments of my Department’s ICT security measures and a biannual independent security review of my Department's ICT infrastructure. This is required for EU accreditation purposes in order to maintain my Department’s status as the EU-accredited paying agency in Ireland. In addition, services for independent internet-facing application testing are provided for in the contract, where required.Following an open EU public tendering procedure held in April 2013, a contract for this work was awarded in June 2013. On this occasion it was awarded to a different company than on the previous occasion that this work was tendered. Following a review of the initial 12 month period of the contract, my Department and this company agreed to an extension of the contract for a further period of 12 months. On the expiry of this service in 2015, it is envisaged that my Department will run a new open EU tender competition for this ICT consultancy work.

My Department is also heavily reliant on high quality Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to both assist with the effective and efficient administration of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) based single payment and agri-environmental schemes and also in carrying out our animal health and farm inspection obligations. Following an open public tendering procedure held in 2012, my Department awarded a contract to Compass Informatics to carry out a review of the operation of the Department’s GIS systems and to produce a technical report on how to ensure that these systems continue to serve my Department well into the future. The final report was completed as scheduled and a number of the recommendations are currently being implemented.

In addition, my Department has a number of contracts in place for ICT infrastructure technical support and for contract programming resources, which have been retendered at various points since March 2011, using open EU tendering procedures.