Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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389. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of all consultancy firms engaged by his Department during 2014; if he will also provide details of all the relevant fees paid to those firms during the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1664/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The information requested in relation to the total amount of expenditure on consultancy by my Department during 2014 is set out in the table. My Department is always mindful of the costs involved in engaging consultants. In line with Department of Finance guidelines for engagement of consultants in the Civil Service, external consultants are engaged only when there is a clear need for specialised external expertise and following a rigorous examination of skills and resources available in-house. The objective of using outside consultants is to ensure that my Department achieves value for money by implementing recommendations for improvements in order to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.