Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2004
497 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number and nature of the reports, consultancies or other advisory or PR commissions awarded by his Department in the past five years to those other than established civil servants; the total cost involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4567/04]
View answerThe Deputy will, of course, be aware that my Department was established in June 2002. The information requested by the Deputy as regards reports, consultancies or other advisory commissions awarded or continued by my Department since its establishment in June 2002 are set out in the attached appendix. Having regard to their technical, specialised nature or financial sensitivity, publication is not envisaged in respect of a number of reports. As regards PR commissions, I would refer the Deputy to my recent reply to question No. 466 of 10 February 2004.
Appendix
Report of the working group on the creation of employment in the Gaeltacht, established April 2002.
Objectives: to examine recommendations Nos. 7 and 8 of the Indecon report — a review of the expenditure programmes of Údarás na Gaeltachta — and to make recommendations on how these should or can be implemented; to examine the feasibility of generating further employment in non-local services in the Gaeltacht and to make recommendations on the policy changes necessary to substantially increase the employment level in such services.
Membership: Kevin Bonner, chairman, Tony Barrett, FÁS, Seán Ó Cofaigh, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Liam Ó Cuinneagáin, chairman, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Seán Ó Labhra, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Michael Leahy, Enterprise Ireland, Pat Loftus, IDA Ireland, Ronald Long, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment — represented by Kieran Grace, Séamus Mac Giolla Chomhaill, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Helena O'Brien, Secretary, Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Report: The working group's report was published December 2002
Consultancies:
Consultant: Venture International, Omagh, County Tyrone.
Purpose of Consultancy: to identify the priority issues, both economic and social, of concern to rural communities in border areas, North and South; to report the extent of cross-border co-operation to date by the communities concerned in addressing the difficulties associated with these issues or in other matters of mutual concern and the financial or other support, if any, provided by the authorities, national, regional or local, in the two jurisdictions. to recommend models for cross Border action in tackling the identified priorities and the extent, if any, to which such models could be supported by current official (including EU) programmes and initiatives.
Original Contract Amount: €37,501.71
Start date, June 2001. End date, July 2002
Expenditure: €35,006.36
This study was commissioned by the then Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, which agreed to share the costs.
Report: Report has been published and is available in the Houses of the Oireachtas Library
Consultant: Venture International, Omagh, County Tyrone
Purpose of Consultancy: joint cross Border education, training and research scoping study to identify the providers, North and South, of rural development research: to describe the current provision of rural development research in Ireland and Northern Ireland and on a cross border basis; to describe the extent to which the providers tailor their activities to the needs of rural communities in border areas; to co-operate in the provision of rural development research services within Ireland, within Northern Ireland and on a North-South basis; to provide their services to rural communities on a cross border basis; to identify the gaps in the provision of rural development research, particularly with regard to social and economic regeneration partnerships and other rural development organisations operating in rural areas; to recommend how relevant cross border rural development research can be most effectively and efficiently identified, commissioned and delivered.
Original Contract Amount: £17,513.38 sterling
Start date, June 2001. End date, July 2002.
Expenditure: £14,032.69 sterling
This consultancy was initiated by the then Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, who agreed to share the costs.
Consultant: IBM
Purpose of consultancy: the IT strategy plan identified the need for a database that would contain key information pertaining to Furbo's client base and would also contain information pertaining to client interaction with the Department, for example, the application and receipt of grants at a summary or transactional level.
The purpose of the consultancy was to prepare a detailed requirements specification for the system and to assist the Department in selecting the system and integrators.
The requirements specification was completed in October 2002 at a cost of €93,000. It is not proposed to publish this technical report.
Consultant: Achilles Procurement Services Ltd.
Purpose of Consultancy: The provision of procurement consultancy services in relation to ferry contracts for Inishturk, Inishboffin, Clare Island and the Aran Islands.
It is not intended to publish the consultant's report which was received October 2002. Cost: €756.25
Consultant: Goodbody Economic Consultants.
Purpose of consultancy: The Department of Social and Family Affairs commissioned Goodbody economic consultants to advise and assist the Department in relation to a review of statutory funding of the community and voluntary sector. This was with a view to assisting the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board in carrying out its functions under the Dormant Accounts Act, 2001.
The objectives of this study were to: map the existing funding available to the community and voluntary sector from all statutory sources, including the EU, taking into account the purposes for which dormant account surpluses will be disbursed as outlined in Section 41(a) of the Dormant Accounts Act 2001; identify and map significant non-statutory sources of funding to the community and voluntary sector, for example, the Ireland Funds etc.; identify overlaps or gaps or under-funding in existing funding arrangements to the Community and Voluntary sector; and identify a small number of other relevant jurisdictions and examine their disbursement practices in relation to dormant accounts or similar surpluses.
Cost: €28,738
Report: The final report "Mapping State Support for the Community and Voluntary Sector", was submitted to the Department in December 2002 and is available on request.
Consultant: CHL Consulting Company (Desktop Evaluation)
Purpose of consultancy: to comment on the viability of the investment proposal in regard to Imeachtaí Gaelsaoire Teo., its cost-effectiveness and its potential to deliver on the stated objectives from within that budget.
Cost: €1,210
Report: received December 2002 and having regard to financial sensitivity is not intended for publication.
Consultant: National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis, NUI, Maynooth.
Purpose of Consultancy: review of CLÁR areas and preparation of revised set of maps of areas eligible for CLÁR programme
Original Contract Amount: €4,000
Start date: October 2002. End date: November 2002
Expenditure: €4,840
Consultant: National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis, NUI, Maynooth.
Purpose of consultancy: preparation of further detailed maps of CLÁR areas.
Start date: February 2003. End date: March 2003
Expenditure: €1,325
Consultants: DKM Consultants, Davy House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2.
Purpose of consultancy: review and analysis of proposed grant aid development of cargo apron at Knock regional airport under the CLÁR programme.
Start date: January 2003. End date: February 2003
Original Contract Amount: €18,045 Expenditure: €17,818
Consultant: Farrell Grant Sparks.
Purpose of consultancy: to undertake a study and provide advice on the feasibility of the introduction of a property sales programme for Údarás na Gaeltachta; the options relating to the organisation's equity portfolio; the level of State aid that would be required to ensure that the private sector would provide new industrial and business property sufficient for job creation targets of Údarás na Gaeltachta; and prepare implementation programmes to give effect to the above.
Cost: €83,883.25
Report: received March 2003. Having regard to the financial sensitivity involved, It is not intended to publish this report.
Consultant: Achilles Procurement Services Ltd.
Purpose of consultancy: the provision of procurement consultancy services as regards the preparation of tender documents for the ferry contract for Long Island, County Cork.
Report: received February 2003. It is not intended to publish.
Cost: €605
Consultant: Peter Coyne and Company, Chartered Accountants
Purpose of consultancy: to carry out an examination of annual accounts and sailing logs submitted by O'Brien Shipping Limited as regards their contract for the provision of a ferry service between Galway city and the Aran Islands.
Report: Received May 2003. It is not intended to publish
Cost: €399.30
Consultant: Peter Coyne and Company, Chartered Accountants
Purpose of consultancy: to carry out an examination of accounting records kept by Aer Árann in connection with the public service obligation air service between Aerfort na Minna, County Galway and the Aran Islands.
Report: received December 2003. It is not intended to publish
Cost: €1,089
Consultant: Achilles Procurement Services Ltd.
Purpose of consultancy: to evaluate and shortlist tenders received to carry out a study of island ferry services and to advise on the correct process for the appointment of a consultant to carry out the study.
Report: report received and work completed in June 2003. It is not intended to publish.
Cost: €5,445
Consultant: Gearóid De Faoite
Purpose of consultancy: to carry out a review of the Language Assistants scheme and the Summer Camp Scheme for the youth of the Gaeltacht and to undertake a scientific analysis on the payments made to the Gaeltacht households who accommodate students under the Learners of Irish Scheme
Cost: €17,600
Report received, July 2003
Publication: Published in December 2003.
Consultant: Goodbody Economic Consultants, Ballsbridge Dublin, 4
Purpose of consultancy: to assess all applications which were received under the funding scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies in the community and voluntary sector. The terms of reference as specified in the request for tender document which was issued to a number of consultants inviting proposals are as follows: to prepare a shortlist of qualified applications for the Department, i.e. those which come within the scope of the scheme; to assess the shortlisted applications against the criteria set down for the scheme — see guidelines in schedule of documents; to make a further shortlist of applicants and to make recommendations to the Department on funding of those shortlisted -the rationale followed in recommending funding will be clearly outlined; to prepare a report which clearly outlines the reasons why each applicant was recommended or was not recommended for funding.
This report, and the applicant's score, will be supplied to applicants on request. It is not intended that the assessors will be required to enter into dialogue with unsuccessful applicants or to deal with queries from applicants.
Cost: €34,183
Report: received August 2003 and it has been published on Department website.
Consultant: Colgan & Associates, Dundrum, Dublin 16
Purpose of consultancy: to assess all applications which were received under the funding scheme to provide training and supports in the community and voluntary sector. The terms of reference as specified in the request for tender document which was issued to a number of consultants are as follows: to prepare a shortlist of qualified applications for the Department, that is, those which come within the scope of the scheme; to assess the shortlisted applications against the criteria set down for the scheme — see guidelines in schedule of documents; to make recommendations to the Department on funding — the rationale followed in recommending funding will be clearly outlined; to prepare a report clearly outlining the reasons why each applicant was recommended or was not recommended for funding. This report, and the applicant's score, will be supplied to applicants on request. It is not intended that the assessors will be required to enter into dialogue with unsuccessful applicants or to deal with queries from applicants.
Cost: € 24,200
Report: received August 2003 and it has been published on Department website.
Consultant: Indecon International Economic Consultants.
Purpose of consultancy: to review and report on ADM Ltd, having particular regard to: the appropriateness of existing arrangements between ADM Ltd, Government Departments and other stakeholders; options for change having regard to accountability and cost effectiveness, including, if appropriate a restructuring of ADM Ltd and alternatives.
Taking into consideration: the original social partnership context and EU related functions of ADM Limited; the competencies developed and current range of services provided by ADM Limited for Departments; the requirement for political accountability in respect of public expenditures; the Government's objective to improving structural cohesion and services delivery across local and community development programmes and related activities.
Cost: €82,280 plus VAT @ 21%
Report: the consultants' report was received in October 2003. No decision has been taken as yet regarding publication of the report.
Consultant: System Dynamics
Purpose of consultancy: Development of Information System to support administration of LEADER+ and National Rural Development Programmes
Cost to date: €204,116.40 incl. VAT.
Current Status: nearing completion.
Report: As the outcome is to establish an electronic reporting system for the LEADER programmes, no report is envisaged.
Consultant: Fitzpatrick & Associates.
Purpose of consultancy: mid-term evaluation of the LEADER+ operational programme to be carried out in two stages, that is, 2003 and 2005
Cost: €100,370 incl. VAT, 2003 review; €61,559 incl. VAT, 2005 Review.
Current Status: 2003 report was submitted to the Department on 28 November 2003 and was forwarded to the EU Commission in December 2003. The report will be made available on the Department's website.
Consultant: Deloitte & Touche.
Purpose of consultancy: to provide professional accounting advice between June 2002 and October 2003.
Cost: €71,512.82 incl. VAT
Consultant: Deloitte & Touche.
Purpose of consultancy: to provide professional accounting service in February-March 2004.
Cost: €17,184.42 incl. VAT.
Consultant: Achilles Procurement Services
Purpose of consultancy: General advice regarding tendering procedures in relation to a linguistic study of the Gaeltacht areas
Cost: €1,815.00
Advice provided during May 2003
Consultant: Achilles Procurement Services
Purpose of consultancy: general advice regarding tendering procedures in relation to a linguistic study of the Gaeltacht areas
Cost: €151.25
Advice provided during September 2003.
Consultant: Achilles Procurement Services.
Purpose of consultancy: general advice regarding award of contract for construction of Clare Island and Inishturk Piers.
Cost: €151.25.
Advice provided during October 2003.
Consultant: Malachy Walsh and Partners.
Purpose of consultancy: to advise on appropriate indicators by which effectiveness and value for money may be assessed in respect of the provision by the Department of subsidies towards island transport services generally; the optimal duration and terms and conditions of contracts, having regard to the investment required to provide quality customer ferry services; the socio-economic and socio-linguistic impact subsidised services have had on the development of the islands since 1997.
Within the framework of the overall existing levels of subsidy, to evaluate and make recommendations regarding: the adequacy of, and need for, each of the existing subsidised ferry services, both cargo and passenger to the islands specified below, having regard to any other transport services to the islands, whether subsidised or not; the case, if any, for upgrading existing or providing additional subsidised ferry services, the appropriate subsidy required in each case, and how best this might be secured from within existing overall allocations; the likely costs of structural improvements, if any, that would be necessary to facilitate such upgraded services; the advisability of operating cargo and passenger services using the same or separate vessels and the outline functional specification of vessels required.
The islands referred to are Tory Island, Inishturk, Clare Island, Inis Mór, Inis Meán, Inis Oírr, Inishboffin, Galway, and Cape Clear.
Cost: €95,641.66
Report: study almost complete. It is intended to publish the report.
Consultant: Deloitte & Touche.
Purpose of consultancy: to provide the Department with consultancy assistance in the specification and selection of a new financial management system for the Department.
Cost: €117,249.61.
Report: consultancy completed in October 2003. Publication of a report does not arise.
Consultant: Deloitte & Touche.
Purpose of consultancy: to provide the Department with advice and support in the areas of project management, quality assurance, business process redesign, user acceptance testing and change and risk management in relation to the implementation of a new financial management system in the Department.
Estimated cost: €167,500
Report: consultancy commenced in November 2003 and is expected to be completed in July 2004. Publication of a report will not arise.
Consultant: PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Purpose of Consultancy: systems audit of Waterways Ireland.
Terms of Reference: the purpose of the review, in line with the financial memorandum of the body, is to provide an independent, professional opinion of the adequacy and effectiveness of the financial management arrangements in place for the body, which is jointly sponsored by both the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
Cost €4,550.00 plus VAT.
Report: review commenced September 2003 and is ongoing. Report will be submitted to Secretary General in due course. It is not envisaged that this report will be published.
Consultant: IPA
Purpose of consultancy: review of Department's internal audit function
Terms of Reference: To undertake an independent review of the adequacy of existing internal audit arrangements within the Department in line with the recommendations of the Report of the working group on the accountability of Secretaries General and accounting officers, otherwise known as Mullarkey report, which was circulated to Government Departments in 2002.
Cost €9,000 plus VAT.
Report: review commenced September 2003 and was completed in October 2003. Report was submitted to Secretary General and subsequently submitted to Department of Finance. It is not envisaged that this report will be published.
Consultant: Deloitte & Touche.
Purpose of consultancy: the development of a clear ICT vision and strategy for each of the business divisions in the Department and for the Department as a whole, having regard to the context of dispersed geographic locations for the period 2003 to 2006. The strategy will build upon existing plans and strategies within the Department.
Facilitate the participation of the Department of Community Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs in e-Government initiatives, including those set out in the Department of An Taoiseach's "New Connections" document and the public services broker.
Describe the ICT infrastructure required to deliver the vision and strategy including the computer systems, networking, security, mobile computing, sectoral business systems and common business systems requirements of the Department.
Specify the ICT resourcing requirements and organisation, including an examination of options in relation to appropriate outsourcing arrangements,as regards the structure, management, competencies, skill requirements and daily operations that will be required to support the ICT strategy as well as responding to new business demands.
Recommend a plan for implementation, taking into account the projects that will give effect to the strategy.
Cost: €101,882.00 plus VAT
Report: Expected March 2004
Consultant: Fitzpatrick Associates, Lad Lane, Dublin 2.
Purpose of consultancy: review of enterprise support in rural areas.
Terms of Reference: identify and describe the availability of official support for enterprise, including tourism enterprise, in rural areas, that is, all areas excluding the Greater Dublin area, the gateways and hubs as defined in the National Spatial Strategy, their areas of influence, and their structures of delivery; identify weaknesses or gaps, if any, in supports and/or their structures of delivery taking account of EU State aid law, the National Spatial Strategy and Exchequer financial constraints; identify the likely effects of, and make recommendations on, designating areas as the only ones where official assistance will be provided for establishing certain services and industries, where such sectoral targeting does not exist; recommend structures of delivery, focusing on the subregional level, including the number and role of agencies needed to optimise enterprise, including tourism enterprise, development in rural areas and avoid unnecessary duplication. For this purpose, regard should be had to the role and function of the following organisations: LEADER companies, county enterprise boards, Enterprise Ireland, Western Development Commission, SFADCo, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Fáilte Ireland, regional tourism authorities and the amalgam of Bord Bia and Bord Glas.
In so far as issues are already addressed under the terms of reference for the major tourism policy review currently underway, they do not form part of these terms of reference.
Original Contract: €76,351
Start date: September 2003. Expected end date: February 2004.
Consultant: Talbot Associates.
Purpose of Consultancy: review of the national advisory committee on drugs
Cost: €39,125 plus VAT and vouched expenses.
Commenced on 10 February 2004. Report due by end-May 2004.
Consultant: Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, NUI, Galway, in conjunction with the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis, NUI, Maynooth.
Purpose of consultancy: linguistic study on the usage of Irish in the Gaeltacht as a basis for strengthening the linguistic development of the Gaeltacht as an Irish-speaking area and a basis for a review of the official Gaeltacht boundaries.
Original contract: €550,223 incl. VAT
Start date, April 2004 End date, September 2006.
Consultant: NEXUS Research
Purpose of consultancy: to undertake the roll-out of training on a data collection software package, SPEAK, to projects funded under the community development programme.
Cost: €57,280 plus VAT.
Expected completion date of the consultancy: 30 June 2004
Consultant: Bearings
Purpose of consultancy: to implement a human resource management system, Peoplesoft, to replace its existing personnel administration system, PAS, and its training database, worksafe.
Cost: €81,736
Commenced October 2003 and completed in February 2004.
Consultant: Sourcelines
Purpose of consultancy: act as facilitator to chair and direct workshop examining the role of the implementation and advisory group of the White Paper on Supporting Voluntary Activity 2 October 2002; prepare a report of the facilitation day
Cost: €900
Report: received in the Department following the facilitation day and circulated to the IAG.
Consultant: Colgan & Associates, Dundrum, Dublin 16
Purpose of consultancy: supplementary assessment of applications which were received under the funding scheme to provide training and supports in the community and voluntary sector.
Cost: €968
Report: received in the Department in December 2003.
Other: In addition to the consultancies listed above, in 2003 two contracts for research purposes, with a total monetary value of €71,000, have been funded from the consultancy subhead. The experts contracted were Oonagh Breen, UCD law lecturer, and Arthur Cox, solicitors. The purpose of the contracts was to secure specialist assistance for the Department in its work in the reform of charity law, thereby enabling that work to be both fast-tracked and informed not only by research previously undertaken in this country but also by developments in other common law jurisdictions and at EU level. The question of receipt of reports or the publication of reports is not applicable.
A cross-Border contract, valued at £21,210 sterling has also been placed, by the procurement service, Northern Ireland, on behalf of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs — rural development division II — and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Belfast for the provision of economic appraisals of PEACE II applications to Cross-Border Priority 5 Measure 6b. Draft reports have been received from the consultants. These reports are to assist the Departments in the assessment of applications and will therefore not be published.
No remunerated advisory commissions were awarded.
