Tuesday, 20 Jan 2015

Written Answers Nos. 154 - 168

Consultancy Contracts Expenditure

Questions (154, 155)

Barry Cowen

Question:

154. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach the total amount spent on external IT consultants by his Department in 2010 to 2014, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2483/15]

Barry Cowen

Question:

155. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach if his Department has renegotiated external IT consultancy contracts and costs since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2484/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together.

The total amount spent on external IT consultants by my Department in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 is as follows:

2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
€ 11,711	€ 18,679	€ 0	€ 2,560	€ 0

My Department does not have any ongoing IT consultancy contracts in place. When IT consultancy is required the practice in my Department is to select an appropriate competitive process such as seeking quotations, using a centrally negotiated framework agreement or issuing a Request For Tender.

Appointments to State Boards

Questions (156)

Barry Cowen

Question:

156. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of appointments to State boards under his Department's remit made since March 2011 to date; the number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit since March 2011 to date; the number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit publicly advertised since March 2011 to date in 2014; and the number of appointments to State boards under his remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process. [2485/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

Tabular statement follows.

-	Number of appointments to State boards under his Departments remit made since March 2011 to date	Number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit since March 2011 to date	Number of vacancies in State boards under his Department's remit publically advertised since March 2011 to date in 2014	Number of appointments to State boards under his remit drawn directly from the public advertisement process
National Economic and Social Development Office	2	2	N/A	N/A
National Statistics Board	9	9	4*	4

* Other appointments were made in an ex-officio capacity or were nominated by representative organisations.

Freedom of Information Requests

Questions (157)

Barry Cowen

Question:

157. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach if he will provide, in tabular form per annum from 2009 to 2014, the total number of freedom of information requests received by his Department; the total refused; the total granted; the total part granted; the total appealed; the total successful appeals; the total part successful appeals; the total refusals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2486/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The information requested in relation to requests received by the Department of the Taoiseach under Freedom of Information from 2009 to 2014 is set out in tables.

-	Total FOI Requests	Granted	Part Granted	Refused	No Records	Withdrawn
2014*	173	36	76	13	16	16
2013	91	20	40	9	11	11
2012	153	43	61	14	15	20
2011	98	28	52	3	11	4
2010	110	41	44	5	12	8
2009	99	52	30	4	9	4

*16 requests are ongoing

-	Requests for Internal Review	Affirmed	Varied	Annulled	Withdrawn
2014	6	5			1
2013	4	4
2012	5	2	2	1
2011	6	4	2
2010	4	2	2
2009	3	2	1

Consultancy Contracts Data

Questions (158)

Barry Cowen

Question:

158. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form per annum all external consultant reports commissioned by his Department since March 2011; the cost per report; the company involved; the title of the report; and the publication date. [2487/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

A table details the external consultant reports commissioned by my Department since March 2011.

Year	Name	Details	Cost
2011	QTS	Health and Safety Statement 2011	€1,270.50
2012	QTS	Health and Safety Statement 2012	€1,270.50
2013	QTS	Health and Safety Statement 2013 and Risk Assessment	€1,783.50
2014	QTS	PEEP Assessment and Disabled Access Review	€307.50
			€4,632.00

Departmental Staff Allowances

Questions (159)

Barry Cowen

Question:

159. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form the total amount spent per annum in 2011 to 2014, inclusive, on staff subsistence payments and staff taxi payments; if his Department has been audited for tax compliance on these payments and other benefits in kind; if these processes have been revised in view of the Revenue Commissioners' concerns over practices in other State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2488/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The total amount spent per annum by my Department on subsistence payments to staff and on taxi costs from 2011 to 2014 is provided in a table:

Year	Subsistence	Taxi
2011	€27,487.01	€41,174.93
2012	€38,803.34*	€30,273.37*
2013	€46,802.27*	€28,609.89*
2014	€45,636.17	€24,828.37

* Note: this includes impact of EU Presidency

My Department has not been audited for tax compliance on these payments. However, my Department's Appropriation Account is audited annually by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

In March 2014, following a review by my Department, an unprompted voluntary disclosure was made to the Revenue Commissioners which included a liability for benefit in kind in relation to the use of taxis to and from home of €24,506 (including penalties and interest). This reflected a long-standing practice where staff are sometimes required to work outside normal office hours in order to carry out their official duties, in most cases due to Oireachtas sittings. Revenue guidelines state that benefit in kind is due on the costs of taxis from home to headquarters and vice versa. My Department has put in place revised arrangements to ensure compliance with Revenue Guidelines in respect of benefit in kind on taxi journeys to and from home.

Legal Costs

Questions (160)

Barry Cowen

Question:

160. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach the total legal costs incurred by his Department in 2011 to 2014, inclusive. [2489/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The total legal costs incurred by my Department from 2011 to end 2014 is provided in a table:

Year	€
2011	€43,535.00
2012	*€241,676.00
2013	Nil
2014	€22,909.00

The table does not include any costs that have been incurred in relation to the Tribunal of Inquiry (Moriarty) or the Commission of Investigation (Fennelly).

*In 2012 my Department paid €241,676 in legal costs, incurred in respect of the applicant's costs in proceedings taken against the previous Government about the holding of a by-election in Donegal South-West.

Public Relations Contracts Expenditure

Questions (161)

Barry Cowen

Question:

161. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Taoiseach the total external public relation costs incurred by his Department in 2011 to 2014, inclusive. [2490/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The total external public relations costs incurred by my Department from 2011 to end December 2014 is detailed in a table:

Year	€
2011	Nil
2012	26,631*
2013	49,054*
2014	8,408

*The majority of this expenditure was in relation to the EU Presidency and the Constitutional Convention.

Programme for Government Priorities

Questions (162)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

162. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Taoiseach the priorities in his Department for the remainder of the term of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2491/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

In accordance with its Strategy Statement, the Department of the Taoiseach will continue to support the work of the Taoiseach and the Government to ensure a cohesive approach to the development and implementation of the priorities set out in the Programme for Government and the recent Statement of Government Priorities.

An updated Statement of Strategy setting out the key objectives for the Department of the Taoiseach will be submitted to Government and published shortly.

Departmental Reports

Questions (163)

Sean Fleming

Question:

163. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Taoiseach if his Department has published its annual report for 2013. [2492/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The Department of the Taoiseach annual Report for 2013 was published on the departmental website and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 9 May 2014.

International Agreements

Questions (164)

Niall Collins

Question:

164. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the actions his Department has taken to allow for the implementation of the Istanbul convention; if his Department has any engagement with the Department of Justice and Equality on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2494/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The Taoiseach's Department has no role in the implementation of the articles or issues in the Istanbul Convention and therefore has not engaged with the Department of Justice and Equality. The implementation of the Convention is a matter for the Minister for Justice and Equality, who along with a number of other Departments hold functional responsibility.

Consultancy Contracts Data

Questions (165)

Tom Fleming

Question:

165. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of all consultancy firms engaged by his Department during 2014; if he will also provide details of all the relevant fees paid to those firms during the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2495/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

A table details all consultancy firms engaged by my Department during 2014 and the relevant fees paid to those firms.

Company Name	Fees Paid
Q4 Public Relations	€8,408.29
QTS Limited	€2,091.00
RA Consulting	€9,298.80
Total	€19,798.09

EU Directives

Questions (166)

Brendan Smith

Question:

166. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form the number of EU directives that remain to be implemented within his Department; the titles of these directives; the timeframe for the implementation of these directives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2496/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

Responsibility for transposing EU measures into Irish law rests with individual Departments with responsibility for the relevant policy area.

The Department of the Taoiseach has no EU Directives awaiting transposition.

Ministerial Advisers Remuneration

Questions (167)

Jerry Buttimer

Question:

167. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Taoiseach the amount spent by his Department on special advisers for each of the past four years; the way this compares with the four years from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2513/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The expenditure by my Department on special advisers is detailed in a table:

Year	Amount
2014	€596,548.29
2013	€579,734.87
2012	€582,258.55
2011*	€755,525.42
2010	€886,569.27
2009	€974,182.76
2008	€667,516.03
2007	€676,682.65

* €390,399.97 of this relates to expenditure on the special advisers of the previous Government.

Ministerial Transport

Questions (168)

Jerry Buttimer

Question:

168. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Taoiseach the amount spent by his Department on ministerial drivers and associated travel expenses for each of the past four years; the way this compares with similar expenditure for the four years from 2007 to 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2529/15]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The total expenditure on Ministerial transport by my Department from 2011 to 16th January 2015 was €68,959.74. This relates to Government Chief Whip and Minister of State Paul Kehoe.

Prior to March 2011, the Government Chief Whip was supplied with a State car and two Garda drivers. This facility was removed in 2011.

My Department does not maintain records of the travel costs for each Minister. However, at the time the change was made in March 2011 it was estimated that the annual savings from Cabinet Ministers using their own cars rather than using State ones would be of the order of €4 million.