Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Feb 1997

Vol. 474 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Costs.

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

22 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the total amount of money expended on consultancies in the past two years; the total number of reports from these consultancies; and the cost of such reports. [1497/97]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

Expenditure on consultancies by my Department in the past two years amounts to £677,112 and £738,412 in 1995 and 1996 respectively.

As my Department has a board remit, the consultancies cover a wide spectrum which either temporarily supplement the expertise in my Department, such as in the Information Technology area, provide specialised expertise such as advice on animal welfare in relation to livestock vessels and-or provide independent advice and analysis such as the report on the evaluation of the compensatory allowance system which was used in the formulation of proposals for change submitted to Brussels.

The total number of reports, major and minor, produced to date from these consultancies is 30.