Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 February 2014
304. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will name each company awarded a contract for the provision of professional services by her Department and agencies under her aegis since May 2011; the value and purpose of the contract; if a competitive tendering process was undertaken in line with public procurement best practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6461/14]
View answerThe procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework. In accordance with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform procedures, procurements of goods and services in excess of €25,000 ex. VAT and all IT procurements in excess of €10,000 ex. VAT are advertised on E-tenders.
Goods and services are only procured by my Department without competitive tender in exceptional circumstances, in accordance with criteria set out in EU Directive 18/2004 and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform procedures. Article 31 of EU Directive 18/2004 sets out particular circumstances for use of single or restricted tendering for procurements of goods or services over the EU threshold (currently €130,000 (VAT exclusive) for Government Departments); justifications include particularly unforeseeable extreme urgency or exclusive technical expertise of selected provider of services or proprietorial nature of goods required. These conditions are also used in the Department as guidelines in determining the suitability of single tenders in the cases which are below EU threshold. In accordance with Department of Finance Circular 40/02 all procurement contracts which the Department proposes to award without a competitive process which exceed €25,000 in value (exclusive of VAT) are reviewed by my Department’s Internal Audit Unit and an Annual Report of such instances is submitted by the Accounting Officer (Secretary General) to the Comptroller & Auditor General.
I have supplied tables regarding IT and non IT contracts separately. The following table relates to IT contract awards for the entire period.
|
Purpose of Contract |
Name of Contractor |
Original Contract Value |
Competitive Process |
|
Payment & Agency Reconciliation Platform (PARP) Support & Development |
Fujitsu Ireland |
€116,883 |
Y |
|
IS Internal Audit Services |
Deloitte & Touché |
€170,748 |
Y |
|
Digital Documents |
Inpute Technologies |
€61,500 |
Y |
|
Confidential Forensic Services |
RITS Information Security |
€99,000 |
Y |
|
Security Partner to provide ongoing Information Security Support (2012-2014) |
Deloitte |
€83,025 |
Y |
|
Developing architecture for Intreo |
Compass Point |
€4,600 |
Y |
|
CoreExpense Travel & Subsistence System Upgrade & CoreTime & Attendance System Upgrade |
Core International |
€80,980 |
N |
|
Payment & Generic Scheme & Payments Processing - Deduction at Source for LPT |
Accenture |
€1,227,284 |
Y |
|
Payment & Agency Reconciliation Platform (PARP) Support & Development and Oracle Support & Upgrade |
Fujitsu Ireland |
€2,750,000 |
Y |
|
Welfare.ie Redesign 2012 |
Hewlett Packard |
€569,958 |
Y |
|
Modification to Jobseekers smartphone app |
Monsoon Consulting |
€6,865 |
Y |
|
BOMi Central Test |
Bearing Point |
€1,199,250 |
Y |
|
BOMi Release & Environment Mgmt. |
Bearing Point |
€1,445,250 |
Y |
|
BOMi Business Change |
Bearing Point |
€2,386,200 |
Y |
|
BOMi Production Support |
Bearing Point |
€3,693,075 |
Y |
|
Mobile Opportunity Exploration |
Accenture |
€33,388 |
N |
|
Corporate Portal (Stór) Support & Maintenance |
Hewlett Packard |
€600,000 |
Y |
|
Diet Supplement Diet Cost Report |
Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute |
€4,000 |
Y |
|
Business Object Modelling Team |
Deloitte |
€826,560 |
Y |
|
Support to Regional Development Team |
Deloitte |
€1,564,560 |
Y |
|
Enhancement of Means Assessment Object on the BOMi |
Accenture |
€391,829 |
Y |
|
Business Objects Modelling Advice & Expertise (2013-2015) |
Naked Objects Group Ltd |
€463,710 |
Y |
|
BOMi Technical Development Advice (2013-2015) |
Haywood Associates Ltd |
€524,694 |
Y |
|
Predictive Analytics Model |
Accenture |
€15,744 |
Y |
|
SEPA Compliance Project |
Accenture |
€169,316 |
N |
|
Technical Change Services in Medical Referral & Case Management Service |
Bearing Point |
€607,285 |
Y |
|
Digital Documents Support & Maintenance |
Inpute Technologies |
€114,390 |
Y |
|
Provision of support for the Naked Objects Framework (NOF) |
Naked Objects Group Ltd |
€153,750 |
N |
|
Strategic input to Technical Architecture Group |
Microsoft Consulting |
€53,109 |
N |
|
FÁS ICT Applications Systems Review |
Accenture |
€44,772 |
Y |
In relation to non IT contracts, the information requested is shown in the table.
|
Purpose of Contract |
Name of Contractor |
Original Contract Value |
Competitive Process |
|
Site investigation re. smoke testing/waste pipes/hygiene monitoring/odours in DSP Cobh, Co Cork |
Employment Health Advisors Ltd |
€2,023.35 |
Y |
|
Repeat investigation contamination July 2012, Ballymun SWLO, Dublin |
Wright Environmental Services |
€1,198.02 |
Y |
|
Exam indoor air quality June/July 2012, Floor 1, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Dublin |
Wright Environmental Services |
€3,382.50 |
Y |
|
Investigate contamination after leak July 2012, Ballymun SWLO, Dublin |
Wright Environmental Services |
€2,445.24 |
Y |
|
Arklow, Co Wicklow; Tallaght, Dublin and Kings Inn, Dublin, SWLO risk assessments regarding reception areas |
Nifast |
€1,845.00 |
Y |
|
Research Contract- Analysis & Measurement of Poverty and Deprivation 1 year extension of 2008-2011 Contract |
ESRI |
€81,494.31 |
Y |
|
Editing Services for research publications |
Elizabeth Costello |
€650 |
Y |
|
Review of Pension Charges |
Technical Guidance Ltd |
€1,230 |
N |
|
Review of Pension Charges |
PricewaterhouseCoopers |
€61,500 |
Y |
|
Design Work for Intreo |
Creative Inc |
€23,407 |
Y |
|
Actuarial Review of Social Insurance Fund |
KPMG |
€153,750 |
Y |
|
Pathways to Work – Consultation |
Daniel Finn |
€650 |
N |
|
Evaluation of the JobBridge National Internship Scheme |
Indecon |
€60,725 |
Y |
|
Analysis & measurement of Deprivation & Poverty (2012 Programme) |
ESRI |
€81,230 |
N |
|
OECD Review of Long Term Pension Policy |
OECD |
€130,000 |
N |
|
Intreo Corporate Identity |
Language |
€22,730 |
Y |
|
Long-term Pensions Policy Research(Review of Pensions Priority) |
Mercer Ireland Ltd |
€18,150 |
Y |
|
External Service Delivery - Employment Services |
Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion London |
€114,260 |
Y |
|
Provision of Financial Advisory Services |
PricewaterhouseCooper (PWC) |
€7,380 |
Y |
|
Guidance documentation for deciding & appeals officers |
Mel Cousins and Associates |
€2,400 |
N |
|
Diet Supplement Diet Cost Report |
Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute |
€4,000 |
Y |
|
Long-term Pensions Policy Research(Development of Report on Auto Enrolment) |
TOR Financial Consulting Ltd |
€6,956 |
N |
|
Profiling of Live Registrants to identify those most at risk of Labour Market Disadvantage |
ESRI |
€33,745 |
Y |
|
Review of Best International Practice re In-Work Supports |
Mel Cousins and Associates |
€10,000 |
Y |
|
Culture & Values Review(Employee Engagement Programme) |
Axiom Consulting |
€122,692 |
Y |
|
Planning re Youth Guarantee Implementation |
OECD |
€50,000 |
N |
|
Health & Safety Review of Department of Social Protection premises, 77 Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin 1 |
CPL Training Ltd, trading as Nifast Health and Safety Training |
€1,100 |
Y |
|
Research Contract- Analysis & Measurement of Poverty and Social Exclusion (AMPSE) 2013-2015 Total Award €240,000 (2013 is year 1 of 3 year contract) |
ESRI |
€67,979 |
Y |
No new contracts have been recorded to date in 2014. Information for bodies under the aegis of the Department is not immediately available and my officials will provide this information, which is being collated, separately to the Deputy when it is available.
