Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Mar 1986

Vol. 364 No. 7

Written Answers. - Consultancy Services.

78.

Mr. Wallace

asked the Minister for Health the reason an increase of 53 per cent is being estimated for consultancy services in his Department for 1986; and the way in which the additional £500,000 will be spent.

Minister for Health (Mr. B. Desmond)

Consultancy services are paid for out of the A2 subhead of the Health Vote. It is not possible at this stage to give any precise analysis of the way in which the 1986 A.2 allocation will be spent. I can say, however, that the greater part of the allocation will be spent on the purchase of software and the provision of consultancy services related to the installation of the computerised information systems necessary to ensure the efficient and cost effective management of the health services. The increase in the allocation reflects the importance which I attach to progress in this area.

79.

Mr. Wallace

asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the expenditure of £950,000 on consultancy services in 1985; the names of the consultants employed; the number of consultants; the way in which these people were recruited; and the number of tenders received for this work.

Minister for Health (Mr. B. Desmond)

The following table gives a breakdown of the expenditure on consultancy services and the purchase and development of software paid out of the Health Vote in 1985. In all 16 consultants-software houses were employed.

Consultant-Software House	Amount	In respect of Systems-Services provided to
	IR£
Praxis-Package Programs	508,761	Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin
		North Eastern Health Board
		Eastern Health Board.
Systems Dynamics	35,556	Southern Health Board.
Filetab Support Services	17,063	Department of Health.
Pascal Computers	2,214	Coombe Hospital
		Cregg House, Sligo.
CHL Consulting Group	62,280	Cavan Hospital
		Department of Health
		St. James's Hospital
		Medico-Social Research Board
		Western Health Board
		Mid-Western Health Board.
Economic and Social Research Institute	21,750	Department of Health.
Coopers & Lybrand	56,477	North Eastern Health Board
		Beaumont Hospital
		National Rehabilitation Board.
Digital Equipment	11,586	Department of Health
		Eastern Health Board.
Department of Community Medicine and Epidemiology, University College, Dublin	4,383	Department of Health.
Notley Cahill Systems	1,208	Southern Health Board.
Arthur Andersen	211,626	Department of Health
		North Western Health Board.
Trident Management Consultants	75,426	Department of Health.
Social Research Centre, National Institute of Higher Education, Limerick	16,500	Department of Health.
National Software Centre	13,600	North Western Health Board.
Information Systems Management	3,088	Coombe Hospital.
David Sweeney & Associates	40,896	Our Lady's Hospital, Crumlin.
Miscellaneous grants to health agencies in respect of minor systems development and research work.	54,887
Total	1,137,301

While the original allocation was £950,000, a greater than anticipated need for these services, particularly in the areas of the development of financial and community care systems, gave rise to expenditure of £1,137,301. This was offset by savings on other subheads of the Vote.

The standard practice in my Department is to seek tenders from a number of suitable firms for major consultancy assignments and software purchases. No tenders were sought in 1985, however, as the assignments were for the most part continuations of contracts entered into previously. In the case of some minor assignments firms were selected on the basis of suitability, reputation and proven experience.