Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 July 2013
181. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the companies that received payments from his Department for consultation on natural resources; the purpose for which they received payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35692/13]
View answerMy Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. This reality necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice and it is imperative to have recourse to a certain amount of external professional services in the area of natural resources.
In procuring these specialised services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and that these professional services contribute to informed, robust and evidence based policy making. Furthermore, in relation to the competitive tendering for contracts my Department adheres to the relevant EU Regulations and Department of Finance Guidelines on the procurement of goods and services
The majority of natural resources consultancies in 2012 related to the Corrib gas project. In looking at the expenditure incurred, I would like to remind the Deputy that costs relating to the oversight of compliance with the Corrib gas consent conditions are recouped from the developer. My Department’s 2012 Appropriation Account shows that, by end 2012, €255,000 was recouped as appropriation-in-aid.
Details of companies involved in providing consultancy services to my Department are set out in tabular form below. As requested by the Deputy’s office, the information relates to 2012.
Natural Resources Consultancies - 2012
|
Company |
Service Description |
Amount (€) |
|
Indecon |
Consultancy on Economic Value of Exploration and Mining to the Economy |
35,793 |
|
David Fox Associates |
Petroleum Engineering Support |
178,186 |
|
Morgan Geophysics |
Geophysicist Consultancy |
86,706 |
|
Keane Offshore Integrity Ltd |
Corrib Verification Process |
83,746 |
|
Environ uk ltd |
Monitoring of Corrib Gas Consent Conditions |
201,992 |
|
Eamonn O' Duibhir |
Consent Conditions Monitoring Committee |
1,253 |
|
Patrick Barrett |
Consent Conditions Monitoring Committee |
544 |
|
Monica Muller |
Consent Conditions Monitoring Committee |
721 |
|
Mr Michael O'hEalaithe |
Consent Conditions Monitoring Committee |
758 |
|
Mr Kieran Moran |
Consent Conditions Monitoring Committee |
1,013 |
|
Patrick Connell |
Consent Conditions Monitoring Committee |
627 |
|
Total |
591,339 |
