Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of reports commissioned from firms (details supplied) in 2018; the firm that completed each report; and the cost of each report. [7178/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The amount spent on consultancy from the firms in question contracted to perform work in 2018 are provided in the table below:

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of consultants from firms (details supplied) contracted to perform work in 2018; and the amount spent on consultants from each firm. [7195/19]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The amount spent on consultancy from the firms in question contracted to perform work in 2018 are provided in the table below:

The Deputy might note that details of my Department's spending on legal and consultancy fees are regularly published on my Department's website. Currently, all legal and consultancy spend from Q1 2008 to Q3 2018 is available to view, with Q4 2018 to be published in the coming weeks.

Following an open procurement procedure (pursuant to relevant EU legislation) which was conducted in 2018, the Department of Finance appointed financial advisers to a Framework to advise it on financial matters such as the future disposal of the State’s banking sector investments and other ad hoc assignments that may arise from time to time.

The appointment of financial advisors to this Framework can be regarded as prudent planning to ensure that the State is in a position to receive necessary advice in a timely and cost efficient manner.

Firms are appointed to the Framework for an initial period of three years (up to October 2021) with an option to extend by one additional year (up to October 2022).

With respect to the specific question on the number of consultants hired, my Department ran competitive mini-tenders with the members of the financial advisory panel in place and KPMG won that tender as a firm, although it would be the norm for them to include their proposed team’s CVs in the tender responses, we would be hiring the firm at an agreed price for a specific project and not individual consultants from within the firm. Framework Lot 2 – General Financial Advice includes KPMG, PWC and Ernst & Young as three of its ten members.