Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 3

Written Answers. - Cross-Border Agencies.

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

224 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide a breakdown of the total amounts allocated to any cross-Border agencies under the aegis of his Department since their inception; the precise details relating to consultancy services that were employed by these agencies since their inception; the manner in which consultants were appointed, including details of tendering systems employed; the manner in which successful consultants were advised of their appointment; the full amounts paid, or payable to date, on consultancy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19087/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. T. O'Malley)

The Food Safety Promotion Board – FSPB – a cross-Border agency with responsibility for the promotion of food safety, operates under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children. The FSPB, also known as Safefood, was established in the context of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement as one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies.

Since its inception in 1999 the following amounts have been allocated to the FSPB by the Department of Health and Children:

Year	Allocation (€)
1999	63,454
2000	2,538,000
2001	3,397,000
2002	4,262,000
2003	6,060,000

The Deputy will be aware that the FSPB is part funded by the Department of Health, Social Security and Public Safety of Northern Ireland.

The appointment of consultants by the body is a day to day operational matter for which the chief executive officer of the body is accountable to the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Northern Ireland Assembly or the United Kingdom Parliament, as appropriate.

For the Deputy's information, consultancy contracts are awarded by the FSPB in accordance, as appropriate, with the procurement procedures of the Northern Ireland Procurement Service and the national and EU Public Procurement Guidelines issued by the Department of Finance.