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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Nov 2003

Vol. 575 No. 4

Other Questions. - Consultancy Contracts.

Paul Nicholas Gogarty

Ceist:

45 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the amount of money paid to consultants in drawing up policies and plans of action relating to a levy on ATM slips, fast-food litter, chewing gum and other items; the timeframe for action by the Government on these matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28476/03]

On foot of the success of the environmental levy on plastic bags, which was introduced in March 2002 and has resulted in a reduction in the dispensing of plastic shopping bags at retail outlets by over 90%, An Agreed Programme for Government contained a commitment to consider the extension of the levy on plastic bags to other materials which may be problematic from a waste management and litter perspective.

A recent report issued in July 2003 by the litter monitoring body, which is co-ordinated by my Department, provides valuable statistical data on litter pollution in Ireland. Chewing gum is identified in the report as the single largest litter component in the food litter category. Fast-food take-away bags and wrappers are identified as the largest litter component in the packaging litter category. ATM receipts are also identified in the report as significant elements of paper litter.

The results of this report provide a significant basis for considering appropriate measures to deal with the litter problems caused by chewing gum, fast-food packaging and ATM receipts. In light of these findings, I announced in July measures to tackle litter caused by chewing gum, fast-food packaging and ATM receipts. It is my intention to bring forward detailed proposals to Cabinet at the earliest opportunity following a limited public consultation process, as well as consultation with other Departments.

The question asked of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government related to the amount of money paid to consultants in drawing up the action plans he has talked about. Can he give us information on that matter? Can he also inform us as to who some of these consultants are?

The Minister has been written to by members of the public interested as to why consultants are needed to draw up such plans when civil servants are able to apply themselves to any task that a Minister may generally give them. Does the Minister think it is appropriate that a letter sent to him in this regard was sent on to the consultants' firm which then replied in an unsigned letter stating that the Minister had requested them to do the job with no proper explanation? Why are civil servants in the Minister's Department not in a position to draw up plans for the measures he wants to take – which I welcome – in dealing with littler problems? Was there any basis to the decision taken to employ consultants? How is it decided which jobs a consultant or a civil servant will do?

I would not employ consultants at all. I did not want or need consultants on this issue when I already had the answer. However, I was persuaded in commissioning a short, sharp consultancy study to confirm the implementation of the measures and to learn how the affected groups see these economic instruments working. However, the bottom line is that I am proceeding with these measures.

The study is being undertaken by McIver Consulting and Patel Tonra Environmental Consultants for a fixed price sum of €70,301, inclusive of VAT. Two stage payments amounting to €34,469.88, inclusive of VAT, have been paid to date. There is a short timeframe on the study. I am sceptical of consultancy studies but was persuaded that it would be beneficial in this case.

Would the Minister consider it better practice that the letter be answered by the Department rather than the consultants themselves who are not the most objective people in deciding why they are employed? It seems to be becoming a habit of passing correspondence on to consultants and agencies.

When my tenure to date is examined – and hopefully when it is finished – it will be found that I have the lowest recruitment of committees, consultants and experts. If there is enough common sense in this House, then there is enough in the Civil Service to work these plans out. However, there are issues that surround the implementation of economic instruments that need to be discussed. The approach in this case was the right one. One possible reason the letter was passed on was because such discussions were proceeding and it was seen as relevant to the consultant to engage with the individual who wrote it. The bottom line is that this is an environmental issue. I want it delivered quickly and those affected to know how it will be done.

With all the talk about benchmarking, I would have thought that Department officials could be stretched a small bit to making decisions themselves.

What are the guidelines under which consultants are appointed? Will the Minister agree with me that he is very fond of consultants? There are consultants studying the litter problems created by ATM receipts and fast-food packaging. We were informed last night of consultants appointed to inspect pavements and roads at the cost of €375,000. We also learned that PR consultants have been appointed to publicise electronic voting at a cost of €4.5 million. There is a suspicion that these consultancy jobs are for friends of Fianna Fáil when one of its former general secretaries is a member of one such company.

I have been a long-time advocate for the elimination of plastic bags. I am glad that the previous Minister took up my suggestion. He did not need consultants for that because I made up the figures on what would be saved by the measure.

Where is the revenue from the plastic bag levy being used? Where will the proposed levy for the elimination of chewing gum, ATM slips and other litter be allocated?

What type of expert consultant was the Minister looking for when drawing up these levies on ATM slips and fast-food packaging? Was it an expert in banking, paper or hanging around street corners?

Or rubber?

I have already given the Deputy an answer to that tongue in cheek question. Patel Tonra are environment consultants. As Deputy McCormack is aware, the money from the plastic bag levy is ring-fenced in the environment fund and is recycled directly to all the local authorities. That is why we are seeing such an incredible improvement around the country in bring banks, recycling facilities, etc. along with the introduction of bigger facilities by some local authorities. We are transforming the situation and I am glad this is happening.

There is a difference between hiring consultants to drive matters forward and hiring them to elicit ideas. All Deputies said the electorate needed to be made aware of what was happening on electronic voting. That is what the process is about and we should not undermine it. The Deputy's colleagues on both sides of the House have said they found the public information awareness campaign during the trial period in the original constituencies to be hugely valuable.

We cannot even get the information.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

We must move on to Question No. 46.

We know from research carried out and from talking to the candidates that it was an enormous success. The rest of the public is entitled to the same care and attention as was given to those in the original three constituencies.

How did the Minister award the contract?

The Deputy is not casting any aspersion on me. As he knows there is a public procurement process. If the Deputy has any views on this process, he should take it up elsewhere.

The previous Fianna Fáil secretary general was just lucky.

I do not deal with it.

Did the lowest tender get the contract?

I do not know, as I was not involved in the process.

The Minister should know.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Chair has called Question No. 46.

The Deputy is suggesting that I am directly involved; I am not.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I ask the Minister to move on to Question No. 46.

If he wants to table a question I can give him the answer.

Why should I table a question? I am asking the Minister now and he should answer.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I have called Question No. 46. We have gone considerably over time on this question.

McConnells won the contract, as the Deputy knows well. If the Deputy is casting aspersions on McConnells I suggest he take it up with them.

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