Written Answers. - Ministerial Costs.
Joe Walsh
Question:
99
Mr. J. Walsh
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
the number and cost of staff in his general and private ministerial offices and the general and private ministerial offices of the Minister (s) of State at his Department: the number and cost of contract and part-time staff employed in such offices; the cost of all travel undertaken by him or the Minister(s) of State at his Department since appointment to office outlining the destinations visited, the duration, dates and purpose of the trips; the total expenses incurred by him or the Minister(s) of State at his Department; and the cost and names of consultancy services to his Department and each State body under the aegis of his Department to date in 1995.
[15305/95]
There are 14 Civil Service staff assigned to my offices at a total cost of £248,379 per annum. This includes the cost of the programme manager who is a career civil servant. There are nine Civil Service staff assigned to the offices of the Minister of State at my Department, Deputy Durkan, at a total cost of £128,039 per annum.
There are three non-Civil Service staff employed in my office on contract on a full-time basis at an annual cost of £90,443 and four non-Civil Service staff, including two civilian drivers, are employed on contract in the Minister of State's office, at an annual cost of £57,952.
Most of the official travel which I have undertaken within the State since taking office has been by official car. I do not have the cost of this travel, as the expenses arising from the use of my official car are borne by the Department of Justice. However, I have incurred travel and subsistence expenses amounting to £4,435 in relation to travel within this State. The cost of official travel within the State incurred by the Minister of State, who does not have access to an official car, amounts to £14,330.
With regard to the destinations, dates, duration and purpose of all trips undertaken by myself and the Minister of State, this information is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work. However, details of foreign travel undertaken by myself and the Minister of State are given in the reply to Deputy Ivor Callely on Wednesday, 18 October 1995 (Question No. 108).
The total cost of other expenses incurred by me and the Minister of State since taking office amounts to £3,512 and £2,147, respectively.
In relation to consultancy services, I wish to state that there are no consultants attached to my office or that of the Minister of State. As part of its ongoing business the Department engages a number of different companies and organisations to provide consultancy assistance. Most consultancies relate to technical and or management support with projects that are designed to improve the delivery of the services of the Department. The Department's current consultancy requirement is heavily influenced by the development and implementation of a major strategic project to integrate all short-term social welfare schemes. The total expenditure on these services by the Department to-date in 1995 is £2.6 million. A list of the principal companies which provided the services as follows.
There are three State bodies under the aegis of my Department. In relation to the Pensions Board, expenditure on consultancy services this year amounted to £58,328. The companies involved were A. & L. Goodbody (legal advice) and Mercer Ltd. (actuarial advice). The Combat Poverty Agency has used consultancy assistance in 1995 and I am awaiting details of the cost and services involved. I will let the Deputy have this information as soon as it is available. The National Social Services Board has not employed consultancy services in the current year.
List of Principal Companies Used
Price Waterhouse
Andersen Consulting
Coopers and Lybrand
Digital Equipment Ireland Ltd.
Economic and Social Research Institute
Goodbody Economic Consultants Ltd.
MAJIH Ltd.
Manorhamilton Services Ltd.
Stappers, Eliaertsand Thiers
Walsh Public Relations Ltd.
Work Research Co-Operative Ltd.
Telecom Éireann
An Post
Gartner Group (UK)
ICL Peritas
David Andrews
Question:
100
Mr. Andrews
asked the
Minister for Tourism and Trade
the number and cost of staff in his general and private ministerial offices and the general and private ministerial offices of the Minister(s) of State at his Department; the number and cost of contract and part-time staff employed in such offices; the cost of all travel undertaken by him or the Minister(s) of State at his Department since appointment to office outlining the destinations visited, the duration, dates and purpose of the trips; the total expenses incurred by him or the Ministers(s) of State at his Department; and the cost and names of consultancy services to his Department and each State body under the aegis of his Department to date in 1995.
[15306/95]
With regard to the number and cost of staff in my private and constituency offices and those of the Minister of State, the information requested by the Deputy is as follows:
|
Minister's Private Office
|
Minister's Constituency Office
|
|
No.
|
Annual Budget Cost
|
No.
|
Annual Budget Cost
|
|
Permanent
|
5
|
£95,776
|
2
|
£24,389
|
|
Contract
|
2
|
£57,856
|
2
|
£37,960
|
|
Minister of State's Private Office
|
Minister's of State's Constituency Office
|
|
No.
|
Annual Budget Cost
|
No.
|
Annual Budget Cost
|
|
Permanent
|
2
|
£45,761
|
1
|
£13,655
|
|
Contract
|
4
|
£79,253
|
1
|
£15,671
|
The information requested regarding foreign travel has already been included in my reply of 17 October to Question No. 110 tabled by Deputy Ivor Callely. The information sought by the Deputy on domestic travel, is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.
To date, I have incurred expenses totalling £15,396 while expenses incurred by the Minister for State total £6,868.
The 1995 budgeted provision in respect of consultancy services commissioned by my Department is as follows:
|
Consultant
|
1995 Budget
|
|
£
|
|
Mediawise
|
1,550
|
|
Arthur D. Little Ltd
|
48,400
|
|
Indecon (Ireland)
|
11,233*
|
|
KPMG Management Consultancy
|
6,110
|
|
Public Relations of Ireland Ltd
|
21,780
|
|
University of Limerick
|
3,000
|
*75% is recoupable from EU.
As to the State agencies under my aegis, this is an operational matter for the bodies concerned. I do not have any function in that regard.
