Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 November 2010

Thursday, 4 November 2010

Ceisteanna (278, 279)

Brian Hayes

Ceist:

278 Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide an itemised list of payments made to external solicitors and to external barristers whose services were procured directly by the Department and by each agency and body under its aegis in the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; the reason for each such procurement; if such services were procured through competitive tendering processes in every instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40936/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (Deputy Pat Carey)

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to my Department and the State bodies funded from its Vote Group is provided in the accompanying table. In each case, the services of external solicitors and external barristers were procured to provide essential legal advice, legal opinion or to carry out specialist legal work where the legal expertise required was not available in-house. In cases where a competitive tendering process was not held, this generally arose where the solicitor or barrister had extensive, specialist knowledge of a particular area. A number of appointments were also made following consultation with the Attorney General's Office.

In relation to payments made by the Equality Authority, Equality Tribunal, the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Western Development Commission, it has not been possible to compile this information within the time available. I am arranging for the remainder of the material to be provided directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Body/Agency Name	Name of Solicitor/Barrister	Amount Paid 2007	Amount Paid 2008	Amount Paid 2009	Amount Paid 2010 to date	Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held?
		€	€	€	€
Department of Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs	A & L Goodbody	Nil	Nil	6,094	Nil	No
	Alexander J Ownes	21,614	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Seán Ó Cearbhaill	Nil	61	Nil	Nil	No
Commissioner of Charitable Donations and Bequests	Margetson Greene	Nil	Nil	Nil	33,475	No
	Maxwells	Nil	Nil	Nil	800	No
		Nil	Nil	Nil	2,950	No
		484	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
Dormant Accounts Board	James O’Reilly	1,210	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	KMB Solicitors	1,906	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Maples & Calder	Nil	5,117	Nil	Nil	No
Údarás na Gaeltachta	Brian Conroy	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,512	Yes
	Ciara O’ Callaghan	Nil	Nil	2,250	Nil	Yes
	Dáithí Mac Cárthaigh	Nil	Nil	Nil	647	Yes
	Ercus Stewart	1,525	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Ercus Stewart	Nil	5,445	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Garrett Simons	Nil	Nil	Nil	2,420	Yes
	George Brady	1,815	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	George Brady	Nil	2,420	Nil	Nil	Yes
	George Brady	Nil	Nil	1,823	Nil	Yes
	George Brady	Nil	Nil	Nil	4,840	Yes
	George Brady	Nil	Nil	Nil	908	Yes
	George Brady	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,210	Yes
	Geraldine Glynn	5,266	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes

Body/Agency Name	Name of Solicitor/Barrister	Amount Paid 2007	Amount Paid 2008	Amount Paid 2009	Amount Paid 2010 to date	Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held?
		€	€	€	€
	Geraldine Glynn	Nil	Nil	1,628	Nil	Yes
	Geraldine Glynn	Nil	Nil	182	Nil	Yes
	McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors	Nil	Nil	911	Nil	Yes
	Purtill Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	250	Yes
	Quinn Dillon & Co. M Solicitors	Nil	1,994	Nil	Nil	Yes
	RDJ Glynn Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	3,630	Yes
	Úna Tighe	1,452	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Úna Tighe	545	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Úna Tighe	Nil	23,172	Nil	Nil	No
An Coimisinéir Teanga	Antóin de Lap	6,302	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Antóin de Lap	Nil	6,899	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Antóin de Lap	Nil	Nil	7,859	Nil	Yes
	Antóin de Lap	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,948	Yes
	Séamus Ó Tuathail	4,515	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Séamus Ó Tuathail	Nil	4,384	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Séamus Ó Tuathail	Nil	Nil	4,391	Nil	Yes
	Séamus Ó Tuathail	Nil	Nil	Nil	918	Yes
National Advisory Committee on Drugs	Philip Lee Solicitors	14,633	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
		Nil	9,970	Nil	Nil	No
		Nil	Nil	2,178	Nil	No
		Nil	Nil	Nil	1,403	No

Body/Agency Name	Name of Solicitor/Barrister	Amount Paid 2007	Amount Paid 2008	Amount Paid 2009	Amount Paid 2010 to date	Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held?
		€	€	€	€
Waterways Ireland	Andrew Crean-Lynch Solicitor	Nil	27,915	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Arthur Cox	Nil	12,571	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Arthur Cox	6,529	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Carson McDowell	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,197	Yes
	Copeland McCaffrey Solicitors	3,649	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Copeland McCaffrey Solicitors	Nil	36,203	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Elliott Duffy Garrett	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,050	Yes
	Elliott Duffy Garrett	Nil	Nil	130	Nil	Yes
	Elliott Duffy Garrett	Nil	1,767	Nil	Nil	Yes
	FJ Gearty & Co Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	1,013	Yes
	Kerin, Hickman & O’Donnell Solicitors	801	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Legal Euro One Off Supplier*	10,470	12,841	29,416	9,455	Yes
	Legal Sterling One Off Supplier*	Nil	Nil	669	Nil	Yes
	LK Shields Solicitors	29,217	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	LK Shields Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	4,880	Yes
	LK Shields Solicitors	Nil	Nil	67,965	Nil	Yes
	LK Shields Solicitors	Nil	57,300	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Lucas Associates	Nil	Nil	Nil	616	Yes
	Lucas Associates	Nil	Nil	7,639	Nil	Yes
	Mason Hayes & Curran	Nil	Nil	4,485	Nil	Yes
	Mason Hayes & Curran	54,114	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Mason Hayes & Curran	Nil	16,936	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Matheson Ormsby Prentice	11,342	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Matheson Ormsby Prentice	Nil	10,213	Nil	Nil	Yes

Body/Agency Name	Name of Solicitor/Barrister	Amount Paid 2007	Amount Paid 2008	Amount Paid 2009	Amount Paid 2010 to date	Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held?
		€	€	€	€
	McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors	40,159	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	McCann FitzGerald Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	6,508	Yes
	McCann FitzGerald Solicitors	Nil	Nil	13,682	Nil	Yes
	McCann FitzGerald Solicitors	Nil	7,941	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Morgan McManus Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	46,592	Yes
	Morgan McManus Solicitors	Nil	Nil	229,595	Nil	Yes
	Morgan McManus Solicitors	32,807	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Morgan McManus Solicitors	Nil	48,522	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	53,763	Yes
	Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors	Nil	30,575	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors	26,463	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Murnaghan & Fee Solicitors	Nil	Nil	38,515	Nil	Yes
	P O’Connor and Son	363	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
	P O’Connor and Son	Nil	11,807	Nil	Nil	Yes
**Payments to several payees where individual supplier details are not kept electronically
An Foras Teanga’, comprising:
Ulster-Scots Agency	Johns Elliot	Nil	13,584	Nil	Nil	No
	Johns Elliot	Nil	Nil	163	Nil	No

Body/Agency Name	Name of Solicitor/Barrister	Amount Paid 2007	Amount Paid 2008	Amount Paid 2009	Amount Paid 2010 to date	Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held?
		€	€	€	€
Foras na Gaeilge	Barry Mulqueen	5,400	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	13,250	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	Nil	4,913	Nil	Nil	No
	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	Nil	Nil	10,910	Nil	No
	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	Nil	Nil	Nil	16,216	No
	Gearóid Mac Unfraidh	908	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Gearóid Mac Unfraidh	Nil	Nil	255	Nil	No
	Gearóid Mac Unfraidh	Nil	Nil	Nil	7,360	No
	Mason Hayes Curran	Nil	Nil	38,762	Nil	No
	O’ Hare Solicitors	15,264	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Peter Ward	Nil	Nil	638	Nil	No
	Philip Lee Solicitors	23,885	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Philip Lee Solicitors	Nil	6,067	Nil	Nil	No
	Reddy Charlton McKnight	Nil	Nil	68,812	Nil	No
	Séamas Ó Tuathail	545	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Séamas Ó Tuathail	Nil	Nil	Nil	10,496	No
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	363	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	F.G McCarthy Solicitors	1,421	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Mullaneys Solicitors	605	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Sweeney McGann	6,534	Nil	Nil	Nil	No

Body/Agency Name	Name of Solicitor/Barrister	Amount Paid 2007	Amount Paid 2008	Amount Paid 2009	Amount Paid 2010 to date	Was a Competitive Tendering Process Held?
		€	€	€	€
Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge**	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	Nil	5,445	Nil	Nil	No
	Edge Manning & Co Solicitors	Nil	Nil	1,337	Nil	No
	Gearóid Mac Unfraidh	Nil	605	Nil	Nil	No
	Sweeney McGann	Nil	11,158	Nil	Nil	No
**Successor programme following abolition of Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge
National Disability Authority	A L Goodbody	46,988	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	A L Goodbody	22,763	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	A L Goodbody	Nil	14,740	Nil	Nil	No
	A L Goodbody	Nil	5,675	Nil	Nil	No
	A L Goodbody	Nil	Nil	2,751	Nil	No
	A L Goodbody	Nil	Nil	Nil	4,527	No
	Beauchamps	12,100	Nil	Nil	Nil	No
	Beauchamps	Nil	17,327	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Beauchamps	Nil	7,089	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Beauchamps	Nil	1,791	Nil	Nil	Yes
	Beauchamps	Nil	Nil	459	Nil	No
	BCM Hanby Wallace	Nil	Nil	7,108	Nil	Yes
Family Support Agency	A+L Goodbody Solicitors	20,907	Nil	Nil	Nil	Yes
		Nil	39,217	Nil	Nil
		Nil	Nil	16,644	Nil
		Nil	Nil	Nil	20,247

Lucinda Creighton

Ceist:

279 Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress made in implementing each specific recommendation of the Special Group on Public Sector Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes report that pertains to his Department in tabular form; the savings achieved in relation to each specific recommendation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40954/10]

Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (Deputy Pat Carey)

As I recently advised the Deputy, the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes presented a set of options to reduce expenditure and staff numbers across the public sector. These options were considered by the Government in the context of the 2010 Budget.

Gross savings of some €57 million, or almost 12%, were achieved in the 2010 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) for the Vote of the then Department of Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, relative to the 2009 REV. While the allocations in most expenditure programmes were reduced, the primary concern was to protect as much as possible the daily front-line services being funded through my Department, especially those focused on the needs of the most socially deprived communities.

With regard to the reduction in staff numbers, the Government's moratorium on staff recruitment and promotion and other associated measures, including the incentivised early retirement scheme, have achieved, and continue to achieve, reductions in staff numbers across my Department and relevant agencies.

In terms of specific recommendations by the Special Group, one key recommendation was predicated on my Department being dissolved and its functions transferred to other Departments. Other recommendations related to the abolition or transfer between Departments of specified functions. In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that, as part of the restructuring of Departments and agencies announced in March last by the Taoiseach to ensure greater coherence and produce more efficient delivery, my Department has taken over responsibility for (i) social inclusion policy and family policy from the Department of Social Protection and (ii) equality, disability, integration and human rights from the Department of Justice and Law Reform.

In relation to other recommendations by the Special Group, the Deputy should note that:

The funding of a number of programmes referred to is subject to ongoing consideration of options in the context of the forthcoming Budget;

The Government's key objective in the cohesion process at this time is to ensure greater efficiencies and value for money through the new Local and Community Development Programme. The Programme will be subject to robust monitoring and evaluation and will be implemented through a single delivery structure in each area from January next year. The consolidation/reduction of other structures under my Department’s remit will be reviewed over the coming period;

The future of the Western Development Commission remains under consideration in the context of the ongoing general review of enterprise structures;

It is anticipated that the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill, which will, inter alia, dissolve the Dormant Accounts Board will be published during the present parliamentary session;

Options in relation to the future functions of the Family Support Agency are under review and proposals relating to the reallocation of some functions of the Equality Tribunal will fall to be considered in the context of the review of the equality and human rights bodies currently under way;

Responsibility for the Community Services Programme has transferred to the Department of Social Protection;

The Gaeltacht Housing Grant Scheme was suspended in April 2009. While existing commitments under the scheme continue to be met, no new commitments have been created since that time; and

Other issues with regard to the funding of Irish language/Gaeltacht programmes and the future role of Údarás na Gaeltachta are subject to ongoing consideration in the context of both the forthcoming Budget and the anticipated publication of the 20-year Strategy for Irish. The draft Strategy has been subject to review by the relevant Oireachtas Committee and it is anticipated that the matter will be re-submitted to Government in the coming period.

In light of the foregoing, the Deputy will appreciate that any calculation of savings arising would be premature at this stage.