Vol. 237 No. 7
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give details of the grants made to the semi-State companies for which he is responsible, for the hiring of the Arthur D. Little consultancy firm, naming each State company which has engaged this firm and stating the cost to each.
30.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give details of the total amount paid by State and the semi-State companies for which he is responsible to the Arthur D. Little consultancy firm; and whether that firm was paid in sterling or in dollars.
31.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will give details of the benefits which accrued to the semi-State bodies for which he is responsible, and which engaged the consultancy firm of Arthur D. Little.
32.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether the semi-State companies for which he is responsible propose to further engage the consultancy firm of Arthur D. Little or any other consultancy firm.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 30, 31 and 32 together.
No grants have been made to any semi-State company for which I am responsible in respect of the engagement of the management consultants named by the Deputy.
It is normal business practice for semi-State bodies, particularly those engaged in trading operations, to engage consultants from time to time to assist the management in the solution of particular problems; where this is done without special State assistance, the choice of consultants, the terms of engagement and the assessment of results are the responsibility of the company concerned.
Has the Minister no information as to the cost of engaging these consultants? Has he no information as to what benefit accrued from the expenditure?
The cost of engaging the consultants is, as the Deputy knows —there is general application of fees of various kinds to consultants and so many consultants have been employed —of no very great significance if good results come therefrom. I receive constant reports about the consultancy works they have done on behalf of State companies. Consultants have proved to be extremely useful. In relation to the total expenditure by these State companies. I would not regard the expenditure on any particular consultant as of any great importance or significance. It could not affect the financial position of the company.
The Minister seems most reluctant to answer the question I have asked. Is the Minister in a position to say, or does he know, what the exact cost of employing the named firm of consultants was and what benefit accrued from their employment?
In this particular case considerable benefit accrued from the employment. As the Government gives no grant, and the Government does not make a decision about whether a particular consultant should be employed for a particular purpose, it should really be left to the commercial action of the company. There are many consultants of various kinds and it would not be appropriate for me, when no Government money is involved, to make a declaration or statements about the employment of one consultant as compared with a great many others. I can assure the Deputy that the employment of the particular consultant named by him does not bear any great importance in relation to the total employment of all consultants of other kinds by State companies. It does not enter into the picture to such a degree that the Deputy might be worried about it.
The Deputy is more worried than the Minister. Is the Minister telling the House it is no concern of his whether or not a suitable Irish firm could be employed, whether or not benefit accrued from the employment of such a firm, or whether or not that firm was paid in sterling? Is the Minister seriously telling the House these things or is it of no interest to us?
I did not say these things were of no interest. I said they have no significance in relation to the total number of consultants employed by all State companies. The answer to the question raised is that it has no significance in relation to the total consultancy expenditure of State companies.
The Minister is reluctant to answer the question which is of particular significance to the company.
