Departmental Contracts

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 December 2020

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Questions (158)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

158. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will provide a schedule of all consultancy firms, accountancy firms, legal firms, project management firms and IT firms his Department has engaged to carry out work its behalf in 2018, 2019 and to date in 2020; if he will summarise the work they were engaged to do and the full costs of the engagements; if disputes over costs ensued; if they were resolved with or without sanctions and-or financial penalties and-or withholding of funds; and if contracts are subject to legal challenge or mediation. [40209/20]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the State’s interest must be paramount. This situation necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice to enable it to discharge its responsibility to deliver quality services and protect the interests of the State and the taxpayer.

In procuring specialised services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.

The information requested by the deputy in relation to my Department is outlined in the table below. There were no disputes over cost or legal disputes related to these contracts.

Firm