Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 29 Jun 1999

Vol. 507 No. 2

Written Answers. - Consultancy Contracts.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

210 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs each consultancy, work group, study, analysis and report commissioned by his Department since the Government was appointed; the date each was completed or will be completed; the cost of each in this regard; and if each report has or will be published. [16627/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

As part of the ongoing work in my Department, a wide range of reviews are carried out by staff of the Department as part of their normal work. These generally do not involve additional costs.

Additional costs would be incurred where external consultants are commissioned to carry out specific assignments, whether on policy issues or on aspects of the administration of the Department's schemes and services. Generally speaking it is not considered necessary for such reports to be published.

Details of the reports involving external consultancies which have been provided since I took office or which are due to be provided are as follows. I had no hand, act or part in the selection process in relation to any of these.

	Assignment	Cost£	Report Date
1.	Review of approach and testing of Department's software for Year 2000.	3,025	Jan. 1998
2.	Establishing actuarial costs of pensions proposals	13,431	March 1998
3.	Review of school meals scheme	10,527	April 1998
4.	Research in connection with the working group on access by women to labour market opportunities.	4,000	April 1998
5.	Research connected with the national pensions policy initiative	20,887	May 1998
6.	Further review of testing of Department's software for Year 2000.	4,235	June 1998
7.	Further research connected with the working group on access by women to labour market opportunities	18,000	June 1998
8.	Training programme for departmental national anti-poverty strategy officers	4,000	July 1998
9.	Review of the Scheme of community support for older people	12,535	end-1998
10.	Research on impact of community development programme	16,012	end-1998
11.	Review of the incentive effects of secondary benefits on people considering whether to remain in, or take up, employment	25,865	March 1999
12.	Review and study of the back to work and BTW enterprise schemes	82,522	Early-2000
13.	Preparation of guide to EU Social Security Law, EU Agreements and bilateral social security agreements between Ireland and other countries	58,000	June 2000