In commissioning outside expertise in the consultancy and public relations fields my Department adheres to the Department of Finance publications, Guidelines for Engagement of Consultants in the Civil Service, 1999; Public Procurement Guidelines — Competitive Process, 2004; and all of the supplement to the Department of Finance circular 40/02. Responsibility for the commissioning of consultancies by my Department is delegated to senior management.
New guidelines arising from the recommendations of the Quigley report have been circulated recently within my Department and will be adhered to in future.