Vol. 420 No. 7
59 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline in respect of the report on the laboratories of the Department of Agriculture and Food (1) the number of man hours devoted to the preparation of the report and its estimated total cost and (2) whether the members of the review group had appropriate technical qualifications or experience in laboratory work at the time the report was compiled.
Approximately 20 man months were devoted to the preparation of the draft report on the laboratories of the Department of Agriculture and Food at an estimated cost of £28,000.
The review of the laboratories was an overall examination of the organisation, staffing, including grading, systems, procedures and effectiveness of the various laboratories within the Department of Agriculture and Food. All the members of the review group were experienced management analysts with the requisite skills and qualifications to undertake such a review. While the members of the review group did not have technical qualifications or experience of laboratory work, nevertheless such expertise as may have been required was available to them from within the Department of Agriculture and Food.
