Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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366. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details for his Department for outsourcing to consultancies of specifically Covid-19-related work, services or advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1795/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department engaged consultancy services to support the carrying out of COVID-19 risk assessments, revision of the Department's Safety Statement and standard operating procedures for field-based staff.

My Department engaged external service providers (not consultants) to support COVID-related work across a number of areas, including COVID-19 specific training; co-development of the National Community Call leaflet with versions published in English, Irish, large print, ISL and Braille; maintenance of the Community Call data hub; and excess mortality facilities.

My Department also commissioned research into the effects of the pandemic from the Economic and Social Research Institute to explore the short-run implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on affordability in the private rental market and supported the charity ALONE in preparing a paper on the effects of the pandemic on older persons.