Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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174. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department in each of the years 2015 to 2017; the number of consultants engaged by his Department in those years; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and the steps which have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by his Department in these years and for the future. [15201/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes - Vote 27 (International Co-operation) and Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade).

The Department seeks to minimize expenditure on consultants and commissions external expertise only in areas where highly specialised skills are not available within the Department and, in particular, where independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. During the course of their engagement, these consultants and experts may prepare reports and other analysis or documentation for the Department.

In-depth analysis of issues by external experts has informed, and continues to inform, the Department’s policies, allowing for a more targeted use of resources and greater accountability in the allocation of budgets.

Some consultancies are engaged directly by Missions abroad, including to prepare technical reports relating to Ireland’s overseas development programme.

Certain reports commissioned by the Department are for internal management usage and not for publication. However, many Irish Aid-related reports are published on www.irishaid.ie.

Consultancy services are procured by competitive tendering processes in accordance with EU and national rules and comply with the overall value for money objectives of the Department. In addition, all expenditure on consultancies is subject to audit by the Department’s Evaluation and Audit Unit which reports directly to the Secretary General and whose work is overseen by the Department’s independent Audit Committee. The expenditure is also subject to audit by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Details of the amount of expenditure in each of the years 2015 to 2017, the number of consultants engaged, and the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts in those years are detailed in the table below:

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Expenditure on consultancy in each of the years 2015 to 2017