Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 January 2014
188. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of outsourcing that has been achieved in his Department since the letter sent by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in March 2012; the names of the outsourcing companies that have been involved; the total savings achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3261/14]
View answerMy Department has, for many years, made extensive use of outsourcing to effect service delivery. Notwithstanding the relatively high pre-existing level of outsourcing by my Department, together with increased internal efficiencies garnered from increasing use of ICT in service provision and business processing, and staff availability due to radical office rationalisation, we continue, on an ongoing basis, to review service provision with a view to enlisting external providers where the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs of internal provision, bearing in mind the quality of service, effectiveness and public interest.
Since March 2012 the issuing of EU Pet Passports has been transferred to private veterinary practitioners leading to savings in staff costs of €72,000 p.a. and gross annual revenue of €100,000 - €120,000.
