Consultancy Contracts Issues

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

Ceisteanna (161, 164, 165)

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

161. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide detail, in tabular form, of the names of all external public relations and consultancy persons and organisations used by his Department for the years 2011 and 2010; the amount paid to each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37510/12]

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

164. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail, in tabular form, the amount paid on external public relations and communications consultants since February 2011; the reason for the payment; the name of each organisation used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37543/12]

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

165. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will detail, in tabular form, the amount paid to consultants since February 2011; the name of each organisation used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37559/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

I propose to take Questions Nos. 161, 164 and 165 together.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation).I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on all consultant expenditure and commissioning of such work is in full compliance with national and EU procurement regulations.

My Department did not incur expenditure on external public relations and communications services during the period from 2010 – to date. From time to time, consultants or companies with a public relations and communications background are commissioned to provide other professional services such as project management, logistics and event management.

In the period in question, my Department has commissioned a small number of consultancies to provide specialist ICT and accounting support.

In addition, my Department, through Irish Aid (Ireland’s official development assistance programme), occasionally commissions outside expertise where the effective management, evaluation and review of the programme necessitates the use of such skills. Elements of the aid programme are highly technical such as the areas of HIV/AIDS, communicable diseases, nutrition, agriculture and others. It is essential if the aid programme is to remain at the cutting edge of development science that it utilises outside expertise from time to time for quality assurance and to provide access to the latest knowledge. Utilising external expertise on a temporary basis can also provide excellent value for money as the skills involved are only utilised on a needs rather than full-time basis.

Consultants are engaged only where specialised knowledge and skills are not available within the Department and where independent appraisal, audit, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects are required.Decisions on the need to commission outside expertise are subject to the establishment of appropriate business cases and an approvals process carried out by the Irish Aid Senior Management Group. National and international regulations are fully complied with in subsequent tendering processes.The level of expenditure on consultancy services is constantly monitored to ensure that it does not exceed the level required for the proper management, oversight, monitoring, evaluation and audit of the aid programme.

A table detailing expenditure on consultancy services under both Votes since February 2011 is provided here.

Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs)

Consultants February 2011 – Sept 2012	Amount Paid
ISAS	€4,898.08
RITS	€18,630.52
TONY TAAFFE	€3,850.00

Vote 27 (International Cooperation)

CONSULTANTS FEBRUARY 2011 – SEPTEMBER 2012	Amount Paid
80:20CONSULTANTS	€9,870
ACTRAADVISERS LIMITED	€21,811
ADRIENNE BOYLE	€5,000
AISLING SWAINE CONSULTANCY LTD	€8,702
AODH O CONNOR	€3,797
BERNARD MCLOUGHLIN	€9,787
BERNARD WOOD + ASSOCIATES LTD	€9,873
BERNIE CRAWFORD	€3,572
CAROLINE BURKE	€3,000
CATHERINE SARAH JONES	€29,820
CATHY DORAN	€8,586
CATHY GAYNOR	€31,265
CATHY ROCHE	€9,300
CHANNEL RESEARCH	€27,103
CHARLES LATHROP	€9,629
MARY Mc KEOWN	€5,900
CR2 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT LTD	€2,495
DEIRDRE FARRELL	€9,200
DR MARGARET FITZGERALD	€8,032
EAMONN O'REILLY	€7,500
ECONOMIC + SOCIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE	€54,007
EILIS MURRAY	€7,968
EMMA WARWICK	€5,400
EVERYWHERE HUMANITARIAN & LOGISTICS SERVICE LTD	€40,583
FITZPATRICK ASSOCIATES	€95,109
FRED TOTTENHAM	€10,256
GERAGHTY CONSULTING	€6,793
GERALD CAWLEY	€4,015
GRACE KELLY HARTNETT	€16,710
HUMANITARIAN POLICY LTD	€33,930
HUNTER MCGILL	€11,840
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT	€420,572
INTRAC CONSULTANTS	€12,962
ISOS PARTNERSHIP (UK) LLP	€42,247
ITAD LTD	€93,871
JAMES BURKE	€1,278
JAMES SAUNDERSON	€5,400
JIM CANNON	€9,773
JIM KIELY	€7,950
JIM KINSELLA	€8,565
JOHN O'REGAN	€37,271
KEVIN FARRELL	€24,331
KEVIN MOORE	€17,862
LIZZIE DOWNES	€3,174
LUIS ENRIQUE BRAN REYES	€6,573
MALAQUAIS LOPEZ CERVANTES	€32,920
MARCEL GROGAN	€70,650
MARIE SMITH	€9,146
MARIE T FANNING	€18,696
MARK JEROME	€8,750
MARTIN GREENE	€69,546
MARY BRADY	€38,480
MARY BUCKLEY	€3,020
MARY CORBETT	€51,649
MARY JENNINGS	€2,748
MATTHIAS FIEDLER	€5,387
MAZARS	€15,753
MELLA CUSACK	€4,121
MIKE WILLIAMS	€39,378
MOKORO LTD	€218,515
MORINA O'NEILL	€1,720
NIALL ROCHE	€2,250
NOGUGUMAFU	€8,800
PAT MCMULLIN	€15,382
PATRICA HUNT	€5,109
PATRICK D. MURPHY	€9,064
PAUL ISENMAN	€5,294
PAUL SHEANE	€9,965
PETER MCEVOY	€15,084
PHILIP REGAN	€5,208
PROF HELEN O'NEILL	€6,457
RACHEL KAVANAGH	€2,800
RODNEY RICE	€18,756
RONAN TIERNEY	€27,817
RUTH O' DOHERTY	€13,176
SAMIA SAAD	€9,198
STEFANIE MEREDITH	€10,000
THE POLICY PRACTICE LTD	€32,189
TONY TAAFFE	€10,400
VALID INTERNATIONAL LTD.	€52,260