Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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1336. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of expenditure on consultancy by her Department in each of the years 2015 to 2017; the number of consultants engaged by her Department in those years; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and the steps that have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by her Department in these years and for the future. [15204/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department engages a wide variety of professional services to provide advice within a particular field of expertise where such expertise is not readily available within my Department. This ranges from archaeology services to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes to ICT related professional services, such as web design and maintenance. Other areas include graphic design, copy editing, proof reading, audit and HR related services such as learning & development supports.

The amount of expenditure spent on such consultancies in the period 2015 to 2017 is set out in the table. This expenditure related to eighty four individual consultants or consultant companies. These figures do not include details of legal opinions or advices received as they are not defined as consultants.

In order to reduce costs, my Department avails of Framework Agreements negotiated by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) where possible. A number of areas where consultancy costs are being experienced do not always lend itself to OGP frameworks. This can arise particularly in the area relating to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and the Irish Youth Justice Services.

My Department is developing its internal resources to help reduce dependance on certain types of consultancies such as internal audit, HR and ICT advice.