asked the Minister for Health if he will state the terms of contract with regard to the services of McKinsey & Co., management consultants; how long it is envisaged their services will be required; and the estimated overall final cost.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Management Consultants' Contract.
24.
McKinsey & Co., management consultants, were engaged to undertake three studies in relation to the management of the health services.
In the first study, which was carried out between August and November, 1970, the consultants were asked to advise on the method of working of health boards, with particular reference to the relationship between the boards and their chief executive officers; the management structure under health boards and the extent to which services should continue to be administered at county level.
The second study, which was carried out between December, 1970 and June, 1971, was concerned with the implementation and development of the key recommendations made as a result of the first study and dealt with four main items, i.e.
—development of management processes;
—training of senior staffs;
—preparation of guidelines on the functions and staffing of local offices; and
—development of a suitable grading structure.
The third and final study, which commenced in April, 1972, and has just been completed, involved the provision of advice on the roles and interrelationships of the hospital boards, Comhairle na nOspidéal and the Department and the management processes to be adopted by each of these bodies. The estimated total cost of the three studies is £132,482.
How is it that everything the Minister touches costs the earth? What competence have McKinsey and Company to investigate our health services? The Minister has not answered the first part of the question at all. I do not understand this type of behaviour.
I have already explained it to the House at great length.
The Minister has not.
I have explained the value of the McKinsey Report.
The value of McKinsey is nothing and this has been said by local authority officials throughout the country.
Speaking as one who has been a member of a health authority for the past 24 years, I can assure the Minister that the McKinsey Report is absolute rubbish and will never be implemented.
According to the views of most members of most of the eight health boards the McKinsey Report had great value because the greater part of all the recommendations was accepted and where the recommendations were not accepted, they were modified. Some of the recommendations cannot be implemented until multi-annual budgeting commences and some of them cannot be implemented because in some cases the health boards have not yet acquired their full staff and because procedure has yet to be set up, but in general the health boards adopted the recommendations of the Report.
Further arising——
There can be no further supplementaries. Question No. 25.
Can the Minister tell us from where the money is to come to implement the McKinsey brainwave?
That is a separate question. If the Deputy wishes to have that information he must put down the relevant question.
The Minister has not explained to us what is the value to this country of employing the McKinsey company in relation to a matter of this kind.
I could do that but it would take me more than two hours because I would have to give an elaborate administrative description of the entire organisation of the health boards.
Let me say——
Would the Deputy please sit down?