Written Answers. - Departmental Projects. – Dáil Éireann (28th Dáil) – Tuesday, 30 Jun 1998

Written Answers. - Departmental Projects.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

319 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the working groups, reports, studies and consultancies commissioned by his Department since taking office; the estimated cost of each, where applicable; the date the report of each was received or is scheduled to be received; and whether each has or will be published. [15766/98]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

The information requested is set out in the following table. In addition, seven graphic design consultants were engaged to prepare designs for departmental publications, at an estimated cost of £57,708.

Name	Purpose	Estimated Cost	Report Date	Formal Publication
		£
Baker Consultancy	Design and construction of the Department's Website	15,000	N/A	N/A
Bill O'Herlihy, Communications Group	Design of Medial Skills Course	2,850(f)	N/A	N/A
Bill O'Herlihy, Communications Group	Publicity Programme for Water Services Schemes provided under the EU Cohesion Fund	19,119(f)	N/A	N/A
Brady Shipman Martin	Review of submissions on draft Coastal Zone Management Policy Discussion Document	2,335(¹)	May, 1998	Not planned
Brindley Advertising Ltd.	Recycling Advertising Campaign, Christmas 1997	41,111(f)	N/A	N/A
CK Business Electronics	Computer training course	1,250(f)	N/A	N/A
Computer Associates	Computer training course	17,500	N/A	N/A
Constituency Commission	To review and make recommendations on Dáil and European constituencies	11,881(f)	March, 1998	Published
Coopers & Lybrand (Belfast)	To assist in the appointment of a National Contractor to establish and operate a system of car testing	220,000	N/A	N/A
Core Computer Consultants Ltd.	To assist in the installation of new payroll system	3,300	N/A	N/A
Desmond McGreevy & Partners	Input for Eurostat Purchasing Price Parity Study 1997-1998	726(f)	March, 1998	See footnote(²)
Deloitte & Touche	Study on Department's I.T. strategy	91,500	End, 1998	Not planned
Deloitte & Touche	Quality review on draft Code of Practice for local authority accounting	9,500(f)	March, 1998	Not planned
Digital Equipment Ireland Ltd.	Audit of Housing Grants Computer System for Year 2000 compliance	1,112(f)	August, 1997	Not planned
DKM Economic Consultants	External Evaluator to Operational Programme for Transport 1998-1999	396,880(³)	Ongoing	Not planned
DKM Economic Consultants	Annual Review of the Construction Industry, 1998, 1999, 2000	67,200	June, 1998(4)	To be published
Drury Communications	To advise and assist in the arrangements relating to the publication of the new local government funding system	6,900	N/A	N/A
Dublin Electoral Areas Boundary Committee	To review and make recommendations on local electoral areas in Dublin city and county	20,000	July, 1998	To be published
Eirtrade Services Ltd.	Review of Security of National Vehicle and Driver File system	10,900	July, 1998	Not planned
Electoral Areas Boundary Committee	To review and make recommendations on local electoral areas outside of Dublin	75,000	July, 1998	To be published
ERM Environmental Resources Management	External Evaluator to the Environmental Services Operational Programme 1994-1999	32,300	To be agreed	Not planned
Fehily, Timoney, Weston Ltd.	(a) research international practice on the Landspreading of Biosolids;	155,500	August, 1998	To be published
	(b) prepare a Code of Good Agricultural Practice on the Landspreading of Biosolids; and
	(c) prepare a Guidance Document for the preparation of Sludge Management Plans by local authorities
Forum for the Construction Industry	Implementation of the recommendations of the Strategic Review of the Construction Industry	250,000(5) per annum	Ongoing	To be decided
Galway County Council	Pilot study on the needs and resources of local authorities	120,000	October, 1998	To be published
Hay-MSL Ireland Consultants	Strategic Management Initiative workshops	4,223(f)	N/A	N/A
HRA Management and Training Consultants	Effective Writing Course	1,650(f)	N/A	N/A
Institute of Public Administration	Training and support measures in relation to local authority Strategic Policy Committees	27,300(f)	N/A	N/A
Inter-Departmental/ Ministerial Task Force on Local Government/Local Development	To report to Government on a framework for an integrated approach to local government and local development	Nil	Sept. 1998	Not planned
James A. Kidd	Input for Eurostat Purchasing Price Parity Study 1997-1998	1,452(f)	March, 1998	See footnote(²)
KML Carl Bro	Study of Intersection Treatment on National Primary Roads	39,900	November, 1998	Not planned
KPMG	Study on the costing of Local Authority Services	69,600	August, 1998	To be published
Larmor Ltd.	Development of I.T. system for Offices of Minister and Ministers of State	2,975(f)	N/A	N/A
Larmor Ltd.	Development of Freedom of Information reference book database	3,872(f)	N/A	N/A
Local Appointments Commission Review Group	Review of local authority recruitment by the Local Appointments Commission	Nil	July, 1998	Not planned
M. C. O'Sullivan & Partners	Input for Eurostat Purchasing Price Parity Study 1997-1998	170(f)	March, 1998	See footnote(²)
M. C. O'Sullivan & Partners	National Litter Survey	22,748(f)	December, 1997	Not planned
Mulcahy McDonagh & Partners	Input for Eurostat Purchasing Price Parity Study 1997-1998	726(f)	March, 1998	See footnote(²)
Norcontel (Ireland) Ltd.	Advice and assistance in procurement of new PABX	5,000	N/A	N/A
Open Management Training	Performance Appraisal	2,335(f)	N/A	N/A
Open Management Training	Telephone skills refresher course	3,745(f)	N/A	N/A
Patterson Kempster & Partners	Input for Eurostat Purchasing Price Parity Study 1997-1998	726(f)	March, 1998	See footnote(²)
Peter Bacon and Associates, Economic Consultants	Study on house prices	84,431(f)	April, 1998	Published
Price Waterhouse	Computer training course	3,000(f)	N/A	N/A
Progressive Systems Enterprise Ltd.	Database for National Vehicle and Driver File	24,500	N/A	N/A
Public Library Policy Review Project	Review of Public Library Services	40,000	September, 1998	To be published
Seamus Monaghan & Partners	Input for Eurostat Purchasing Price Parity Study 1997-1998	726(f)	March, 1998	See footnote(²)
Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Ltd.	Advertising Campaign for Revised procedures for Register of Electors	18,400	N/A	N/A
Technology Training	Computer training	4,364(f)	N/A	N/A
Working Group on Centenary of Local Government	To make recommendations to the Minister in relation to a National Commemorative Programme	354(f)	January, 1998	See footnote(6)
WS Atkins	National Water Study	482,400	Phased basis to mid-2000	To be published

(f) Denotes final cost.

(¹) Department of the Environment and Local Government share of costs; balance taken up by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

(²) While it is not intended to publish the data separately, it will be incorporated into the overall study on purchasing price parity which is expected to be published by the Official Publications of the European Communities in 2000.

(³) To be paid in full by the Department of Public Enterprise under shared financial arrangements; Department of the Environment and Local Government; and Marine and Natural Resources paid for these services in the earlier years of the Operational Programme.

(4) 1998 Review.

(5) Of which Department of the Environment and Local Government will be liable for a maximum of 50 per cent; the balance to be funded by the construction industry.

(6) Recommendations incorporated into Circular Letter LG 4/98 to local authorities.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Tuesday, 30 Jun 1998