Written Answers. - Consultancy Contracts.
Tom Hayes
Ceist:
66
Mr. Hayes
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the amount which was paid to consultants in the past 12 months; the number of press people currently working in her Department; the costs of same including overtime, travel and subsistence; and the advertising costs in her Department for the past 12 months.
[29050/03]
Since the beginning of 2003 some €2.1 million was spent by the Department on consultancy – covering a number of reviews and key strategic information technology projects. The major portion of expenditure in 2003 on consultancy was incurred on these projects.
Overall expenditure on consultancy over the period 1 November 2002 to 31 October 2003 amounts to some €6.4 million. Some €3.5 million was incurred in the last two months of 2002 on three major customer service projects. This level of expenditure at the end of 2002 arose because of the phasing of major developments: in the service delivery modernisation programme, child benefit; Reach, the public service broker; and the General Register Office automation projects.
My Department is a major user of information and communications technology and, on an ongoing basis, would have a range of projects and initiatives under way to update and improve aspects of the system and the technology underpinning it. These projects and initiatives range from very large ones involving major expenditure and, usually, external consultancy assistance, to small projects which may be undertaken from time to time to improve aspects of the system, with or without external assistance.
In relation to advertising, some €965,000 was spent by the Department over the 12 month period 1 November 2002 to 31 October 2003. This expenditure covered advertising on a wide range of departmental schemes and services and a special public information campaign on the uses of the personal public service number, PPSN. The use of advertising by the Department is essential in order to ensure that citizens are fully aware of their social welfare entitlements and are notified about improvements and changes affecting payments and services.
There are four staff working in my Department's press office including one press adviser appointed by me. During the past 12 months, total salary costs, including employers PRSI, for the four staff amounted to some €198,500. Overtime and travel and subsistence costs amounted to some €14,400 and €9,700, respectively.
Paul Connaughton
Ceist:
67
Mr. Connaughton
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the procedures in place in relation to appointing consultants for the Pensions Board; and if all these appointments have been put out to tender.
[29053/03]
Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:
103
Mr. Rabbitte
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the total amount paid by her Department in terms of fees or expenses for consultants hired by the Pensions Board; the policy of her Department and the board in regard to the selection of consultants; if tenders are sought for such work; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[28952/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 103 together.
Section 12 of the Pensions Act 1990 provides that the Pensions Board may, subject to my approval, engage such consultants or advisers as it may consider necessary for the performance of its functions. There is a delegated authority in force which allows the Pensions Board to appoint consultants without prior approval where the value of the contract does not exceed €31,740.
The operation of the Pensions Board is generally financed through fee income received from registered pension schemes and providers of personal retirement savings accounts. Accordingly, the Department would not normally fund the cost of consultancy assignments requested by the Pensions Board unless the board was specifically asked to undertake the work by the Department.
In the current year I requested the Pensions Board to undertake a national pensions awareness campaign to promote the need for people to provide themselves with supplementary pensions cover. My Department is also providing a temporary recoverable subvention to the Pensions Board as a contribution to cover development, start up and administration costs associated with personal retirement savings accounts until the fee income associated with these new products reaches an adequate level.
The total value of consultancy costs paid by the Department in 2003 in respect of work done in the areas outlined amounted to €126,256 together with a residual payment of €13,902 in respect of a report on income continuance plans commissioned by the Pensions Board on behalf of the Department.
Except in exceptional circumstances all consultancy assignments are subject to competitive tendering. In the limited cases which have not involved tendering I am satisfied that the award of assignments was in line with public sector tendering procedures.
