Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 4

Written Answers. - Departmental Bodies.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

105 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of ad hoc advisory groups in relation to policy or implementation established in his Department; the number of statutory committees; the number of other permanent groups; the number of interdepartmental groups; the cost of each in a full year; and the cost of individual advisers in the same period. [8588/99]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews)

The groups and committees of the nature referred to by the Deputy existing under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs are as follows:

State Boards and other Groups (7)

Irish Aid Advisory Committee (IAAC)

National Committee for Development Education (NCDE)

Refugee Agency

Cultural Relations Committee (CRC)

The Human Rights and Democratisation Committee (HRDC )

The Emergency Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Preparedness and Post-emergency Committee (EHA & EPR).

The Non-Governmental Organisation Co-Financing Committee

These bodies received the following funding in 1998:

IAAC	£118,000
NCDE	£1 million
Refugee Agency	£330,000
CRC	£470,000
HRDC	£1.25 million
EHA & EPR	£11 million
NGO Co-Financing Committee	£2.9 million

Interdepartmental Groups (9)

Committee on Development of Battle of Boyne Site

Steering Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement

Committee on Emigration

Group on Enlargement of the European Union

Group on Agenda 2000

Communicating Europe Task Force

Committee on Irelands Security Council Candidature

Committee on Human Rights

Committee on Development Cooperation (ICD)

Project Appraisal and Evaluation Group (PAEG)

Other Bodies (7)

The Irish United States Commission for Education Exchange for Education Exchange (Fullbright Commission)

Joint Department of Foreign Affairs/NGO Standing Committee on Human Rights

Departmental Y2000 Compliance Monitoring Committee

Y2000 Compliance Committee for dependent agencies

Departmental Euro Changeover Committee

Passport Office Customer Panel

Visa Office Customer Panel

It would not be possible without a disproportionate diversion of administrative resources to calculate the precise annual cost of the foregoing two categories of groups and committees in the Department. However, these costs were not substantial.

Three individual advisers are employed in the Department, two by me and one by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, at a total cost of £103,000 in 1998.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

106 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the number of ad hoc advisory groups in relation to policy or implementation established in her Department; the number of statutory committees; the number of other permanent groups; the number of interdepartmental groups; the cost of each in a full year; and the cost of individual advisers in the same period. [8589/99]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

Details of ad hoc advisory groups, statutory committees, other permanent groups, and interdepartmental groups operating under the aegis of my Department are detailed in the following schedule.

	Group/Committees	Cost of Groups	Cost of Advisors
1	Ad hoc Strategy Group on Groundhandling at airports for the Express Freight Sector	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs.	Nil
2	The National Civil Aviation Security Committee	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs.	Nil
3	Gas Demand Study Group	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs.	The cost of consultants appointed to advise on this study is being borne by Bord Gáis Éireann.
4	Cablelink Steering Committee	Departmental costs are being reimbursed by Telecom Eireann and RTE.	The cost of advisors is being borneby the shareholders of Cablelink-Telecom Éireann and RTE.
5	Ministerial Committee on Nuclear Safety	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
6	Light Rail Advisory and Action Group	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
7	Committee on Integrated Ticketing	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
8	Light Rail Monitoring Group	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Consultants have been reappointed to assist the group at a cost of £139,000 for a year.
9	High Level Task Force on Rail Safety	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
10	Level Crossing Working Group	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
11	Interdepartmental Committee on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
12	Informal Working Group on the possible use of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by Dublin Bus.	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
13	Postal Sector Strategy Review Group	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
14	GSI Consultative Committee	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
15	Task Force on International Connectivity	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Economic, technical, legal and financial advisers have been retained by the Department up to an Exchequer cost of £552,358.
16	Energy Advisory Board (a non statutory advisory committee of technical experts in the energy conservation field)	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Expenses of £1,162 was incurred in 1998.
17	Departmental Partnership 2000 Committee	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
18	Road Haulage Review Group	No costs arise apart from normal Departmental staffing costs and some incidental costs	Nil
19	Steering Committee on an IPO in Telecom Éireann	Nil	See note attached.

Note for Advisory Services for IPO in Telecom Éireann

Nature of Advisory Services for IPO	Name of Consultants	Cost (excl. VAT)
Joint Global Co-ordinators for Telecom Éireann IPO	Merrill Lynch and AIB Capital Markets	See Note 1
International Counsel to Ministers for Telecom Éireann IPO	Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP	£750,000 (incl expenses)
PR/Marketing Advisers for Telecom Éireann IPO	(i)Citigate Dewe Rogerson, with subcontract to Drury and(ii)Citigate Dewe Rogerson with subcontract to Drury Research and Lansdowne Market Research for market research services	(i)£700,000 direct fees + 10% incentive fee(ii)fee under negotiationSee Note 2
Advertising Agency	Irish International Group	See Note 3
Secure Printing	Bowne Group Ltd.	See Note 4
Process Auditor	Mr. Noel Lindsey	£15,000

Note 1: It is not possible at this stage to predict precisely what the fees will be as they depend on the overall number of shares to be sold by the State and the structure of the offer (i.e. the split between retail and institutional investors) neither of which will be decided until much closer to the IPO date.

Note 2: Additional subcontracted services will arise under the PR/Marketing Contract. These include Operating a Call-Centre, Database Management, Direct Mailing and Co-ordinating Roadshows. Separately, a receiving agent and fraud and process auditors are being engaged. A clear costing for these is not possible at this time.

Note 3: The full scale and scope of the Advertising campaign, including brochure printing and mailing, has yet to be agreed. It is not possible to provide a costing for this contract until such time as this is completed.

Note 4: The full scale and scope of secure printing of prospectus has yet to be agreed.