Vol. 576 No. 6
269 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the total amount of expenditure on consultancy by her Department in 2000, 2001 and 2002; the numbers of consultants engaged by her Department in those years; the steps which have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by her Department in these years and for the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30278/03]
From time to time, as part of the ongoing work of my Department, external consultants are commissioned to carry out specific assignments or reviews on policy issues or aspects of the administration of the Department's schemes and services.
Expenditure on consultancy work amounted to €2,416,312 in 2000, €10,761,000 in 2001 and €9,172,000 in 2002. The numbers of contracts awarded to companies to undertake consultancies in those years are 16 in 2000, 32 in 2001 and 30 in 2002.
Expenditure on consultancy fluctuates from year to year depending on the number and timing of the projects that are being undertaken at any time. The bulk of these consultancies relates to IT related projects undertaken by my Department. My Department is a major user of information and communications technology and, on an ongoing basis, has a range of projects and initiatives under way to update and improve aspects of the system and the technology underpinning it.
Every effort is made to ensure that there is minimum recourse to the use of consultants. However, due to the complexity and scale of the projects in which the Department has been engaged, including projects with a cross-departmental dimension, the use of significant levels of consultancy has been unavoidable.
