Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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101. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the total number of service contracts awarded to private consultancy firms, broken down by projects in IT, management, accounting and auditing, Department and cost, each year to date since 2000, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57664/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Consultancy is defined by the Department of Finance as where a person or organisation provides intellectual or knowledge-based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) through delivering reports, studies, assessments, recommendations, proposals, etc. that contribute to decision making or policy development.

As agreed with the Deputy details are available for my Department from 2011, they are published in tabular form by company, amount and purpose on the Gov.ie website at: .

I am satisfied that my Department's expenditure on consultancy is closely monitored and only essential contracts are awarded, following a rigorous assessment of needs and where the required competencies do not exist in-house.