Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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681. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the total amount spent on external information technology consultants by his Department in each of the years 2010 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23453/15]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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684. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has re-negotiated external information technology consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23570/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 681 and 684 together.

While my Department makes use of external IT service providers for various support and maintenance requirements for its data and communications networks, it has not engaged or re-negotiated contracts with any IT consultants since March 2011.

In 2010 and 2011, the Department engaged consultants for the purpose of providing infrastructure and systems-related security advice and the amounts expended were €65,545 and €23,529 respectively.

It is my Department’s policy to seek competitive tenders and to test the market on a regular basis for all IT requirements.