Existing guidelines in place for the commissioning of outside expertise in the consultancy and public relations fields include Department of Finance public procurement guidelines: Competitive Process — Supplies and Services — July 2004, and Department of Finance Guidelines for Engagement of Consultants in the Civil Service — March 1999.
Furthermore, this Department has taken on where applicable the recommendations outlined in the Quigley report of January 2005 and will take steps to ensure that the measures outlined in the Taoiseach's statement of 11 October 2005, management of ICT projects and consultancy services, and the Minister for Finance's statement of 20 October 2005, achieving value for money in public expenditure, are implemented as quickly as possible. While current practice within this Department is that formal ministerial approval is not required for expenditure on such commissions, this is under review at present.