Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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144. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount paid by his Department to external HR specialists to carry out work on behalf of the Department in 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [21317/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed, through our People Strategy, to build an agile future-ready workforce through enhancing employee experience, prioritising inclusivity and well-being, and fostering a supportive and high-performing environment. Occasionally, the Department engages services from external HR specialists when further expertise is required to optimise service delivery to employees in the Department.

In 2024 and 2025 to date, my Department paid a total of €106,368.19 to external HR specialists for a variety of services provided. These include Diversity and Inclusion Accreditation, HR Specialists for Interview Boards and Recruitment, Mediation Services and Industrial Relations Services. A breakdown of payments has been provided in the below table.