Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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211. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of reports commissioned from firms (details supplied) in 2018; the firm that completed each report; and the cost of each report. [7177/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide analysis and advice over a wide range of areas including the delivery of reports that contribute to evidence-based policy. The procurement of these services supports the Department in providing a high-quality service to the public and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory framework.

The services of only one of the firms mentioned in your parliamentary question was engaged by the Department in 2018. This consultancy service is being provided by Deloitte Ireland in relation to the development of a Departmental Data Strategy. The amount paid to date to Deloitte Ireland for this service is €188,289.

In the interests of transparency, a breakdown of annual expenditure on consultancy and contracts for service for €25,000 and above, are published on the Procurement Policy page of the Department’s website .

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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212. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of consultants from firms (details supplied) contracted to perform work in 2018; and the amount spent on consultants from each firm. [7194/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The procurement of external consultancy services is essential to support my Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner.

The Department is engaged in a number of service delivery modernisation and transformation programmes involving business process, organisational and technological change. These programmes are supported by the procurement of separate external development services (IT external service provision) as well as engagement of external consultants to provide strategic technical advice.

Consultants are engaged for a fixed period following procurement exercises conducted in accordance with Department procedures that are compliant with EU and national legislation and with guidelines set down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

A breakdown of annual expenditure on consultancy and IT external service provision, and a list of purchase orders for €20,000 and above, is available on the Department’s website at Under the FOI publication scheme and with effect from January 2016, the Department also publishes details of public contracts awarded over €25k at .

All consultancy related payments in my Department are made from the consultancy budget (A2(vii)subhead). In 2018, Deloitte LLP were awarded two consultancy contracts (i) for External Development Services to produce a DEASP Data Strategy and (ii) for the provision of expert consultancy support on the deployment of online services and the development of a strategic implementation plan for the implementation of a Digital Transformation and the Front Office/Back Office service model.

In 2018, two consultants worked on the Data Strategy and invoices totalling €188,289 were paid and ten consultants worked on the Digital Transformation project and invoices totalling €100,294 were paid. No payments were made to the other companies listed by the Deputy from the my Departments consultancy budget in 2018.