Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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530. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if her Department has engaged the use of external consultants from 1 January 2020 to date; the details and costs of such engagements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5523/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department considers hiring external consultants in cases where there is not the necessary expertise to deliver the project in-house, in cases where an external assessment is deemed essential, or in cases where a project must be completed within a short time scale, and although the expertise or experience may be available in-house, performing the task would involve a prohibitive opportunity cost.

My Department complies with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's guidelines for engagements of consultants by the civil service, having regard to public procurement guidelines.

The following table outlines the details of projects for which external consultants have been engaged by my Department since 1 January 2020.