Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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95. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total spend on external contractors, consultancy services and other outsourcing in 2018 and 2019. [46936/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, my Department assumed its current configuration in June 2020 following the General Election. Details of expenditure for the period incurred by the Department in its previous configuration is available in the published Appropriation Accounts in respect of Vote 34 for 2018 and 2019 (Vote 34) which are available at www.audit.gov.ie/en/find-report/publications/appropriation%20accounts/.

For the Deputy's information, I am advised that my Department does not currently, and has not in previous years, engaged in outsourcing to external contractors in respect of its core activities.  Details of expenditure on Consultancy Services is detailed in the appropriation accounts under the Administrative Budget (vii) Consultancy Services and Value for Money and Policy Reviews.  The Deputy may wish to note that there was no such expenditure recorded for the periods specified.

As has been previously advised to the House, my Department commissions experts from time to time to provide technical reports or advice on specific issues.  This work is not classified as consultancy services and is not funded from my Department's Administrative Budget.  All contracts with a value of over €20k, including those entered into during the period in question, are published on the Departments website, at www.gov.ie/en/collection/b0034-purchase-orders/.

I trust that the above is of assistance to the Deputy.