David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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909. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the estimated full-year savings for 2017 by reducing spending on professional fees by 10% in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14113/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The estimated expenditure provision for professional fees, including but not limited to legal, IT-related, accountancy, and other advisory and consultancy costs for 2016 for my Department is €5.3 million. It is important to recognise the uncertain nature of legal fees which can vary from year-to-year, and will be dependent on caseload, complexity, duration and outcome.

The €5.3 million includes an amount of €784,000, which relates to the Forfás consultancy budget which is now part of the Department’s budget following Forfás integration into the Department in mid-2014.

The indicative saving in 2017 if the expenditure provision on professional fees was to be reduced by 10% would be in the region of €530,000.

My Department keeps the overall position on all expenditure, including professional fees, under close review. Where a decision is taken to engage external providers, this is, and will continue to be done in the context of the options open to my Department at that time and with a view to best value for money.

Where the use of external services is considered necessary, this is subject to normal public procurement procedures. All expenditure incurred by the Department is subject to annual audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General as well as the Department’s Internal Audit Unit. On occasion the Revenue Commissioners will also conduct audits on departmental expenditure to ensure compliance with tax requirements.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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910. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the estimated full-year saving for 2017 by reducing spending on travel by 10% in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14129/16]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The total Travel and Subsistence costs incurred by the Department and its offices in 2015 was €1,451,940.18. This includes all national and international travel expenditure incurred by Ministers, their staff, and the staff of the Department and its Offices which include:

- Companies Registration Office

- Employment Appeals Tribunal

- Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement

- Low Pay Commission

- Patents Office

- Workplace Relations Commission.

There has been no change to the Travel expenditure provisions in the Department’s 2016 Estimate when compared to the 2015 travel provision.

The quantum of travel expenditure incurred during 2016 will ultimately depend on the volume of official travel undertaken by Ministers, their staff and officials of the Department and its Offices in servicing the wide range of activities across the Department’s remit, nationally and internationally.

Based on the 2015 level of travel expenditure incurred, a 10% reduction on travel expenditure would therefore give rise to €145,194