Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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193. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount paid by his Department to external legal teams, HR specialists, accountancy firms and consultants in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26242/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Given the complex and specialist nature of much of the work of the Department, it increasingly requires a delivery ecosystem of core staff and specialist contractors working together to support optimum delivery.

Please see the below table for the amount the Department has paid to external legal teams, HR specialists, accountancy firms and consultants in 2022:

External specialists are occasionally required to support core functions in the Department, or undertake specific activities or projects on behalf of the Department, including recruitment support, specialised legal advice and support, policy and value for money reviews.They are particularly important in providing specialist skills which may not be available within the Department, or in providing an independence where that is called for.

In 2022 such services included advice on PSO Aviation Services, support for the Public Appointments Service, external board members on interview panels, the All Island Strategic Rail Review, an engineering report for Low Emissions Bus Trials, independent legal advice on data sharing, and other similar activities within the Department's remit.