Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 25 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 5

Written Answers. - Consultancy Appointments.

Noel Dempsey

Ceist:

36 Mr. Dempsey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the consultants who were appointed by his Department since 16 December 1994; if they were appointed following a tendering procedure; if the consultant appointed in each case was the lowest tenderer; and if not, who the lowest tenderer was. [15714/95]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

The Department of Foreign Affairs appointed Ms Mairéad Mullaney, on a consultancy basis to upgrade the Department of Foreign Affairs Library. Ms Mullaney's appointment was as the result of a tendering process, hers was the lowest tender.

Consultants are also employed on short-term consultancy contracts under the Irish Aid Programme to assist with the review and evaluation of existing projects and to plan, design and prepare for new projects. A register of consultants was set up, in September 1993 following national advertising, comprising people with skills in particular sectors applicable to the bilateral aid programme such as primary education, agriculture, engineering etc. who would be interested in obtaining short-term assignments under the aid programme.

Projects requiring the use of a consultant are approved at a meeting of the project appraisal and evaluation group, an interdepartmental committee which approves spending under the bilateral aid programme. When projects have been approved short-lists of suitable consultants are prepared based on the register of consultants. The most appropriate consultant is selected by a committee of three officers from the division having regard to the necessary skills and experience required to undertake the project. The question of tendering does not arise because consultants are employed on short-term contracts at rates set in accordance with the Department of Finance guidelines for short-term assignments.

The following consultants have been employed since 16 December 1994 to undertake specific projects in the areas listed.

Edmund Cahill	Microinformatics Training (Lesotho)
Patrick Lavin	Education Planning mission (Tanzania)
Philip Ryan	Review of Centre of Accounting Studies project (Lesotho)
Florence Armstrong	Kasama education project (Zambia)
John Grindle	Zambia Country Review
Philomena Tuite	Land Use — Northern Zambia
Donal Corcoran	Computerisation of Division's Accounts
Joe Mullen	Review of Kilosa District Programme (Tanzania)
Boem Van Ravensway	Fellowship Programme Review
Jim McCabe	Fellowship Programme Review
Clodagh McCumiskey	Research for Fellowship Review
Cathy Gaynor	Development of Gender Guidelines for the Aid Programme
Winifred O'Neill	Review of Cytology Screening Project (Lesotho)
Philip Callery	Review of Minister of Works project (Lesotho)
CIE Consult	Feasibility study on rehabilitation of railway line (Mozambique)
Brian Lewis	Livestock Development project (Tanzania)
Garvan McCann	Livestock Development review (Tanzania)
Ann Bourke-Garcia	Kilosa health project (Tanzania)
Sr. Mona Tyndall	Kitwe Maternity project (Zambia)
Cliona Foley-Nolan	HIV testing project (Zambia)
Shane Allwright	Jimma health project (Ethiopia)
John Kevaney	Jimma health project (Ethiopia)
Bob Bowman	Tourism project (Zambia)
Austin Mescal	CGIAR/Agriculture project

The Office of the Tánaiste has utilised the services of one consultant since 16 December 1994. On 23 May 1995 consultants were appointed to carry out research on employment options for the long-term unemployed for the task force on long-term unemployment.

The contract was awarded to Fitzpatrick Associates (Economic Consultants) in conjunction with Kieran McKeown Ltd. (Social and Economic Research Consultants) following a competitive tendering procedure in which six consultants were invited to tender and three proposals were submitted.

Fitzpatrick Associates (and McKeown) were the second cheapest tender. It is not possible to name the cheapest tenderer in order to preserve the integrity of the tendering process. The contract was awarded after a comprehensive selection procedure which included presentations by the consultants to members of the task force. The selection procedure involved an examination of the expertise, capacity and suitability of the consultants to undertake the task and their previous experience in this area.