Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 December 2006
541 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department in 2003, 2004 and 2005; the number of consultants engaged by his Department in those years; and the steps which have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by his Department in these years and for the future. [41722/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to the replies to Question No. 164 of 4 October 2006 and Question No. 785 of 6 July 2006.
My Department has regard to the appropriate Department of Finance guidelines on engaging consultants. Proposals for use of consultancy services by my Department are set out in Divisional business plans, which are reviewed and endorsed by my Department's management team at the beginning of each year. The resulting programme of proposed consultancy expenditure is approved by me, and I am consulted on significant new consultancy proposals on a continuing basis.
The information requested in relation to the amount spent on consultancies, which has been reducing considerably, and the number of consultancies carried out for the years concerned is set out in the table.
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
|
Actual expenditure on consultancy |
€17,190,665 |
€3,141,139 |
€2,387,589 |
|
Number of consultancies |
60 |
54 |
75 |
