Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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677. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details in respect of 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. [1793/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department has not outsourced any COVID-19 related work, services or advice to consultancies.

However, while we haven’t engaged professional consultancies in relation to our COVID response, my officials have drawn on the considerable public health expertise available in the third level sector and sought advice and assistance on public health issues relevant to the sector. This advice has shaped our response, and was instrumental in the formulation of the roadmap and adaptation framework published by my Department to give further and higher education institutions guidance in relation to a safe return to on-site activity.