Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 July 2015
278. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the annual saving to his Department if spending on professional fees, including but not limited to legal, IT-related, accountancy and other advisory and consultancy fees, was reduced by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26945/15]
View answerMy Department administers a very diverse, complex and technical brief. It has a total complement of around 250 full time equivalent staff of whom a limited number are technical personnel. This requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice notably in legal, financial and technical areas to assist in discharging its functions. In procuring these specialised services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and that these professional services contribute to project delivery and informed, robust and evidence based policy making.
Based on 2015 expenditure to the end of May, it is estimated that applying a 10% reduction in professional fees would reduce the amount to be paid in 2015 by approximately €0.7m.
My Department adheres to the relevant EU Regulations and Department of Finance Guidelines on the procurement of goods and services and will continue to keep spending on all consultancy/professional services to a minimum consistent with ensuring the necessary expertise is available to discharge the Department’s wide and complex brief.
