Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2014
625. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total amount spent on external IT consultants by her Department in 2010 to 2013, inclusive, and to date in 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49165/14]
View answer626. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department has renegotiated external IT consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49180/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 625 and 626 together.
Since my Department was established on 2 June 2011, a total of €4,120 has been expended on external IT consultancy. This total is comprised of expenditure for the assessment of a Wide-Area-Networks procurement in 2012 and the assessment of Firewall systems in 2014. In both instances, it was considered advisable to seek external network-market expertise to accord with best practice for this type of technical procurement.
My Department does not retain an external IT consultant on an ongoing contractual basis but instead procures the required services as and when required.
