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]
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]
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.