Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 January 2014
315. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form the total amount spent since February 2011 on external reports commissioned by his Department including payments from ministerial allowances, broken down by report; if he will provide the details of any consultants employed; the names of each report and their status as published or ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2364/14]
View answerSince February 2011 sixteen reports have been commissioned by my Department and offices, five of which were standard ICT security audits or reviews. The total cost of the sixteen reports was €442,797. For the Deputy's information the equivalent figures for the previous three year period in the Department and its offices was 39 reports at a cost to the taxpayer of €1,573,185. While this represents a 59% reduction in reports and a 72% reduction in costs over the previous three year period it will remain an item under constant review.
The names of external reports commissioned by my Department and Offices of my Department, details of consultants employed, and the expenditure on each from February 2011 to end December 2013 are as follows:-
January – December 2013
|
Name of external Consultant/Organisation |
Report Title |
Status Completed/Ongoing |
Amount Spent € |
|
Ward Solutions |
ICT security reviews |
Internal ICT security assessments – not for publication |
24,627 |
|
HM Ventures |
Innovative pathways to jobs and growth – Entrepreneurship, Access to Finance and Internationalisation of SMEs |
Published |
7,500 |
|
Fitzpatrick Associates |
Benchmarking of Irish Export Licensing Administration against selected EU Member States. |
Ongoing. Report received December 2013. |
47,417 |
|
Tom Martin & Associates/TMA |
Youth Unemployment A review of wage costs and other factors which may affect the employment of young people in Ireland. |
Presented to the Troika in line with the terms of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policy which is a component of the Memorandum of Understanding, September 2013, as part of which the Irish Government undertook to present a report in December 2013. |
5,547.30 |
|
Janet Hughes |
Labour Court Review of Joint labour Committees |
Published |
17,835 |
|
RSM McClure Watters |
The evaluation of the Workplace Relations Pilot Early Resolution Service |
Published |
35,498 |
|
First Choice Financial Services Ltd and AJS Financial Advice Ltd |
Credit Guarantee Scheme “Findings and Recommendations” |
Published |
24,600 |
January – December 2012
|
Name of external Consultant/Organisation |
Report Title |
Status Completed/Ongoing |
Amount Spent € |
|
Ward Solutions |
Security reviews of ICT systems |
Internal ICT security assessments – not for publication |
39,095 |
|
Version 1 |
ICT systems review – Patents Office Ptolemy System |
Internal technology review – not for publication |
29,667 |
|
Achilles Procurement Services Ltd. |
Recommended Procurement Strategy for a Customer Relationship Management System (CRMS) from the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court |
Published |
2,560 |
|
Deloitte |
Feasibility Study: Making Ireland an International Centre for Intellectual Property |
Ongoing |
102,872.62 |
February – December 2011
|
Name of external Consultant/Organisation |
Report Title |
Status Completed/Ongoing |
Amount Spent € |
|
Rits |
IT Security assessment of new hosting site in Revenue Hosting Centre |
Internal ICT security assessment – not for publication |
8,276 |
|
Maxima Ireland |
Computer Server Virtualisation Strategy Review |
Internal technology review – not for publication |
7,093 |
|
UCD (Dr Frank Walsh) |
Review of ERO and REA Wage Setting Mechanisms |
Published May 2011 |
15,000 |
|
Greater Heights Ltd |
Learning Need Analysis (NERA Staff) |
Published |
15,645 |
|
Capital for Enterprise Ltd. |
Design of Temporary Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme |
Published |
59,565 |
The following revision to the above reply to Question No. 315 was received from the Department on 16/7/2014
|
Name of external Consultant/Organisation |
Report Title |
Cost of Report € |
Publication Date |
|
Rits |
ICT Security |
15,452 |
Internal ICT security assessment - not for publication |
|
Maxima Ireland |
Computer Server Virtualisation Strategy Review |
8,276 |
Internal technology review - not for publication |
