Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount paid by his Department on consultancy services from 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018; the details of these payments; the companies and or persons that received payments; the amount received by each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44661/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Details of consultancy payments made by my Department for the years 2013 to 2017 inclusive are available on the Department's website www.education.ie/en/Publications/Corporate-Reports/Financial-Reports/Expenditure-on-Consultancy. Information in relation to consultancy expenditure is compiled annually in respect of theprevious year. The data in respect of 2018 will not be available until early 2019.

It is the policy of my Department to minimise to the greatest extent possible the use of external consultancy, however external consultants are hired occasionally in circumstances where particular expertise is not available internally and where it is deemed to add value to the overall work of the Department. My Department continues to monitor proposals to engage external consultants to ensure value for money.