Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2014
58. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form per annum, all external consultant reports commissioned by her Department since March 2011; the cost per report; the company involved; the title of the report; and the publication date. [49265/14]
View answerThe procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing a high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework.
The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) including the delivery of reports, studies, assessments, recommendations and proposals that contribute to decision making or policy making.
The Department is engaged in a number of service delivery modernisation and transformation programmes involving business process, organisational and technological change. These programmes are supported by the procurement of separate external development services (IT external service provision) as well as engagement of external consultants to provide strategic technical advice. A breakdown of the annual expenditure on consultancy & IT external service provision for previous years is available on the Department’s website http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Procurement-Policy.aspx.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. I am satisfied that the engagement of consultants provides valuable support to the Department and that the reports, studies, assessments, recommendations and proposals produced contribute to decision making and policy making and is compliant with best practice in realising value for money.
|
Report |
Name of Consultants |
Commissioned |
Publication Date |
Cost € |
|
Investigation of odour/smells, Belmullet Local Office |
Wright Environmental Services |
Apr-2011 |
Internal Management Report |
€1,699 |
|
Report on electronic access to GRO Records for genealogy research |
John Grenham |
Apr-2011 |
Internal Management Report |
€3,557 |
|
Investigation of odour/smells, DSP Cobh |
Employment Health Advisors Ltd |
May-2011 |
Internal Management Report |
€2,023 |
|
Development & implementation of the National Employment & Entitlements Service |
Accenture |
June-2011 |
Aug-2011 |
€186,563 |
|
Report on Pension Charges in Ireland |
PWC |
Oct-2011 |
Oct-2012 |
€61,500 |
|
Social Inclusion Forum – Conference Report |
Aidan Lloyd |
Nov-2011 |
Aug-2012 |
€1,500 |
|
Social Welfare Appeals Office – Research on Insurability Issues & Access to Legal Resources |
Mel Cousins & Associates |
2011 |
2011 |
€7,744 |
|
Review of Irish Pensions Policy |
OECD |
Jan-2012 |
Apr-2013 |
€130,000 |
|
Analysis & Measurement of Poverty & Deprivation 2012: 1. Work & Poverty in Ireland: An Analysis of CSO Survey on Income & Living Conditions 2004-2010 (2012 annual report) 2. Technical Paper on Poverty Indicators – [Appendix C of Report of the Review of the National Poverty Target] 3. Implications of Income Pooling & Household Decision-Making for Poverty & Deprivation (2012 technical paper) |
ESRI |
Jan-2012 |
Dec-2012 & Nov-2012 |
€81,230 |
|
FÁS IS Applications Systems Review |
Accenture |
Jan-2012 |
Internal Management Report |
€44,772 |
|
Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund |
KPMG |
Feb-2012 |
Jun-2012 |
€153,750 |
|
Evaluation of JobBridge (National Internship Scheme) |
Indecon International Economic Consultants |
Apr-2012 |
Apr-2013 |
€59,555 |
|
Developing system architecture for the National Employment & Entitlements Service |
Compass Point |
June-2012 |
Internal Management Report |
€4,600 |
|
Risk assessments regarding reception areas [Arklow, Tallaght, & Kings Inn, Dublin Local Offices] |
Nifast |
June-2012 |
Internal Management Report |
€1,845 |
|
Air Quality Investigation, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada |
Wright Environmental Services |
Aug-2012 |
Internal Management Report |
€3,383 |
|
Air Quality Investigation, Ballymun Local Office |
Wright Environmental Services |
Aug-2012 |
Internal Management Report |
€3,644 |
|
Report on Pension Priority Order |
Mercer |
Sep-2012 |
Feb-2013 |
€18,450 |
|
Contracted Employment Service Model |
Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion |
Nov-2012 |
Internal Management Report |
€140,989 |
|
Mobile Applications Opportunity Exploration |
Accenture |
Feb-2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€33,388 |
|
Social Inclusion Forum – Conference Report |
Aidan Lloyd |
Mar-2013 |
Sep-2013 |
€1,500 |
|
Diet Supplement Diet Costings Update |
Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute |
Apr-2013 |
Sep-2013 |
€4,000 |
|
Health & Safety Review of DSP premises, Upper Gardiner St, Dublin 1 |
CPL Training Ltd, trading as Nifast Health & Safety Training |
Apr-2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€1,100 |
|
Analysis & Measurement of Poverty & Social Exclusion (AMPSE) 2013 programme: 1. Social Transfers & Poverty in Boom & Recession (for 2013 annual report) 2. Indicators of Economic Strain in the Great Recession (for 2013 technical paper) |
ESRI |
June-2013 |
1. Dec-2013 2. Q2-2014 |
€67,979 |
|
Delivery of Administrative Profiling Models to Identify those at Risk of Labour Market Disadvantage |
ESRI |
July-2013 |
June-2014 |
€33,745 |
|
A Review of In-work Supports for the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare |
Mel Cousins & Associates |
July-2013 |
Will be published with the report of the Advisory Group |
€10,000 |
|
Advisory report on implementation of European Youth Guarantee in Irish circumstances |
Organisation for Economic co-operation & Development (OECD) |
Sept- 2013 |
Jan-2014 |
€50,000 |
|
Auto Enrolment & Applicability to Ireland (Pensions) |
TOR Financial Consulting Ltd. |
Mid-2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€9,900 |
|
Report on Organisation Development |
Axiom Consultants |
Sept- 2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€122,692 |
|
Evaluation of the Youth Guarantee Pilot |
Franklin Research Ltd |
October 2013 |
Q 1 2015 |
€20,000* |
|
Survey air quality in Nutgrove LO |
Wright Environmental Services |
Nov-2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€2,900 |
|
Social Welfare Appeals Office – Research into Revising Decisions |
Mel Cousins & Associates |
Dec -2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€2,400 |
|
Evaluation Research (Back to Education Allowance) |
ESRI |
Nov-2013 |
Internal Management Report |
€24,809 |
|
Analysis & Measurement of Poverty & Social Exclusion 2014 programme: 1. Transitions into and out of household joblessness using CSO SILC data 2. Measuring Irish joblessness: The SILC and LFS data sources |
ESRI |
Q1-2014 |
1. Q2-2015 2. Q1-2015 |
€80,000 |
|
Social Inclusion Forum – Conference Report |
Aidan Lloyd |
Mar-2014 |
Dec-2014 |
€1,650 |
|
Identification & containment of malicious software |
Deloitte |
Apr-2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€15,699 |
|
Confidential Forensic Services |
Deloitte |
Mar-2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€2,398 |
|
Confidential Forensic Services |
Rits |
Apr-2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€4,201 |
|
Confidential Forensic Services |
Rits |
Apr-2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€2,340 |
|
Application Life Cycle Review |
Microsoft Ireland |
May-2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€22,586 |
|
Ex-ante Evaluation of the Fund for European Aid for the Most Deprived 2014-2020 |
Mel Cousins & Associates |
July-2014 |
Internal report required by EU Regulation No. 223/2014 |
€16,000 |
|
Report on the effectiveness & efficiency of the guidance model used during Youth Guarantee Pilot |
NUI Maynooth |
November 2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€14,145* |
|
Survey air quality in Waterford Intreo |
Wright Environmental Services |
December 2014 |
Internal Management Report |
€6,863 |
*EU Funded Reports
