Vol. 473 No. 6
155 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment the number of reviews and studies undertaken by consultants or ordered from within his Department since he became Minister; the purpose of each of these studies; the action, if any, which has followed since completion; and the cost of each review or study. [2068/97]
My Department undertakes a wide range of internal reviews and studies on an ongoing basis, as part of its normal business, and the costs arising are met from within the general provisions for staffing and other administrative costs in the Environment Vote.
Details of reviews and studies commissioned from external consultants, or undertaken by my Department in consultation with outside parties, since I took up office are set out in the following table:
|
Title/Purpose of Project |
Undertaken By |
Action taken Since Completion/Current Status |
Cost to the Department |
|
£ |
|||
|
Review of impact, effectiveness and cost of the tax based urban renewal schemes — designated areas. |
KPMG Management Consulting in association with Murray O Laoire, Architects and Urban Designers and the Northern Ireland Economic Research Centre. |
Recommendations under consideration and consultative process initiated. |
113,740 |
|
Dublin Docklands Task Force to recommend arrangements to develop an overall master plan for the Docklands Area of Dublin and appropriate implementation and coordination arrangements. |
Task Force comprising DOE and representatives from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Marine, Transport, Energy and Communications, Enterprise and Employment, Finance and Dublin Corporation, Dublin Port and Docks Board, Grand Canal Corridor Study Task Force. |
Recommendations accepted by Government, legislation to establish new Dublin Docklands Development Authority published and consultants appointed to prepare the master plan for the Docklands area. |
Nil |
|
Tidy Towns Competition Review. |
Ad hoc committee comprising DOE, Tidy Towns Committees, sponsors, adjudicators, Office of Public Works, local authorities and other experts on urban environment. |
Review ongoing; changes made in structure in 1996 competition. |
Nil |
|
Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Strengthening the Protection of the Architectural Heritage. |
Department of the Environment, Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht and Office of Public Works. |
Recommendations under consideration. |
Nil |
|
Professional Study on Local Government Financing. |
KPMG Management Consulting. |
Input to the financial aspects of “Better Local Government — A Programme for Change” published in December 1996. |
94,402 |
|
Occupational Health System in the Fire Service. |
Dr. Gerard Kidney. |
Information seminars held and system now being implemented by local authorities. |
3,249 |
|
Promotion of Best Practice in Housing Management. |
Housing Management Group comprising DOE, local authority officials and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (Consultants) |
First report published in December, 1996; recommendations being considered and implemented on a phased basis. |
6,426 |
|
Transfer of administration of SWA rent and mortgage supplementation to local authorities. |
Inter-Departmental Committee comprising officials from DOE and Departments of Finance, Health and Social Welfare. |
Review ongoing |
Nil |
|
Review to consider equality of opportunity and related matters in the local authority service. |
Working Group representative of DOE and the County and City Managers' Association. |
Review ongoing; new guidelines to be issued as soon as possible. |
Nil |
|
National Litter Survey |
MC O'Sullivan and Co. Ltd. |
Published and circulated in February 1996; input to Action Against Litter initiative. |
29,766 |
|
ENFO Review |
DOE and Consumers' Working Group |
Recommendations under consideration. |
Nil |
|
Coastal Zone Management Study. |
Brady, Shipman, Martin (lead consultants), Natural Environment Consultants, Susan Gubbay and HR Wallingford Ltd. |
Study ongoing. |
39,000(1)(E) |
|
Preparatory Work for the Quality Status Report for the Celtic Seas. |
Marine Institute. |
Quality Status Report now being prepared. |
7,500(2) |
|
Preparation of the Quality Status Report for the Celtic Seas. |
Marine Institute (QSR Office) |
Ongoing. |
175,000(2)(E) |
|
Public Art Research Project |
Steering Group comprising DOE, Department of Arts Culture and the Gaeltacht, Arts Council Temple Bar Properties Ltd. and Consultants (Public Art Development Trust). |
Recommendations under consideration. |
13,971(3) |
|
Report on Local Authority Archives and Records. |
Local Authority Archives Steering Group, comprising DOE, local authorities, An Chomhairle Leabharlanna and the National Archives. |
Recommendations implemented. |
100,000(E) |
|
Review of applications for inclusion in a proposed amendment to the EU Architects Directive. |
Review panel comprising DOE, Professor Cathal O'Neill, James Pike, Helen Blair and Gerry Walker (Architects). |
Review largely completed. |
15,000(E) |
|
Economic Evaluation of Cohesion Fund Environmental Projects. |
Fehily, Timoney and Weston. |
Recommendations under consideration. |
55,117 |
|
Greater Dublin Region Water Supply Strategic Study. |
Generale des Eaux and MC O'Sullivan. |
Recommendations being implemented. |
3,721 |
|
Economic Instruments supporting Environmental Policy. |
ESRI |
Due to be published shortly. |
52,390 |
|
Formulating Environmental and Social Indicators for Sustainable Development. |
ESRI |
Study under consideration as a basis for further policy development. |
18,850 |
|
Preparatory paper in the context of the preparation of the “National Sustainable Development Strategy”. |
Environmental Management and Auditing Services Ltd. |
Input to the preparation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy, which is expected to be published before Easter. |
6,002 |
|
Mid-term review of Environmental Services Operational Programme 1994-99. |
Environmental Resources Management and Fitzpatrick Associates. |
Evaluation ongoing. |
53,000(4)(E) |
|
Construction Industry Review and Outlook, Annual Review — 1995, 1996 and 1997. |
DKM. |
Ongoing — final year of three year contract. Reviews published for 1995 and 1996. |
44,770(5) |
|
Fire aspects of Eurocode 1. |
Building Research Establishment (UK). |
Report being considered |
5,791 |
|
Eurocode 6, Phases 2 and 3. |
Forbairt. |
Recommendations introduced into Technical Guidance Documents for Building Regulations. |
3,630 |
|
Sample Survey of Residential Repair and Maintenance Expenditure. |
ESRI |
Ongoing monthly survey |
13,500(6) |
|
Assessment of methods for stopping spread of fires. |
Agniconsult |
Assessment ongoing. |
1,000(E) |
|
Conversion of Radon Survey Results to Computer Format. |
University College Dublin. |
Used an input to the review of the technical guidance provided by DOE on the requirements of the Building Regulations in relation to radon. |
500 |
|
Redrawing of Technical Guidance Documents which support the Building Regulations. |
McHugh O'Cofaigh Architects. |
Revised documents to be published shortly. |
20,692 |
|
Strategic Review of Construction Industry. |
Strategic Review Committee comprising representatives from DOE, construction industry and private/public sector clients. |
Ongoing — due for completion early 1997. |
25,000(7) |
|
Study of organisational arrangements to support the establishment of a Director of Traffic for Dublin. |
Price Waterhouse. |
Director being recruited by Dublin Corporation. |
61,935 |
|
External Evaluator to the Operational Programme for Transport, 1994-99(8) |
DKM. |
Evaluation ongoing. |
198,803(6) |
|
Mid-Term Review of the Operational Programme for Transport, 1994-99(8) |
DKM. |
Review ongoing. |
64,000(E) |
|
Non-National Roads Pavement Condition Study. |
Ove Arup & Partners Ireland with PMS Pavement Management Services Ltd. and Jennings O'Donavan & Partners. |
Study due for completion by end-February. |
168,000(E) |
|
Survey of Motor Tax and Insurance Evasion(9) |
National Roads Authority and Garda Síochána. |
Report to be published shortly. |
5,000 |
|
Electronic retrieval system for motor tax legislation. |
Alan Moore. |
Ongoing. |
4,500(E) |
|
Evaluation of IT hardware and system software requirements for NVDF. |
Price Waterhouse. |
Development of NVDF project is ongoing. |
8,712 |
|
Evaluation of proposal for Wide Area Network procurement for NVDF. |
Baltimore Technologies. |
Development of NVDF project is ongoing. |
8,712 |
