Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

136. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount spent on external consultants by his Department in 2019; the average hourly rate; if caps or limits on such spending are in place; the way in which conflicts of interest are managed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7281/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department agrees an operational budget each year during the estimates process, this includes an allocation for consultancy expenditure.

Information on consultancy expenditure is regularly published on my Department's website, most recently for Q1 2020.

The amount my Department has spent on external consultants in 2019 is contained in the following table.

Where hourly rates have been charged, these are considered commercially sensitive, and therefore my Department is not in a position to make this information available.

In terms of the management of conflicts of interest, declaration forms are issued to Evaluation Committee members in advance of all tender evaluations taking place. Evaluators are required to declare that they are not aware of any actual or potential conflict of interest with any of the bidders that have submitted tender responses. Any existing conflicts of interest and/or new conflicts of interest that arise during the term of the contract, must be immediately disclosed to the Department’s Compliance Officer.