The procurement of services is essential to support the Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner and is governed by a comprehensive regulatory, legal and procedural framework.
The Department engages consultants (individuals or organisations) to provide intellectual or knowledge based services (e.g. expert analysis and advice) including the delivery of reports, studies, assessments, recommendations and proposals that contribute to decision making or policy making.
The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority (formerly Pensions Board) and Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. Other than the Citizens Information Board, the agencies did not commission any reports over the period concerned.
The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table. I am satisfied that the engagement of consultants provides valuable support to the Department, that procurement of consultants is compliant with best practice in realising value for money, and that the reports, studies, assessments, recommendations and proposals produced contribute to decision making and policy making.
Report
|
Date commissioned
|
Date completed/
published
|
Cost €
|
Investigation of odour/smells, Belmullet Local Office
|
Apr-11
|
Internal Management Report
|
€1,699
|
Report on electronic access to GRO Records for genealogy research
|
Apr-11
|
Internal Management Report
|
€3,557
|
Investigation of odour/smells, DSP Cobh
|
May-11
|
Internal Management Report
|
€2,023
|
Development & implementation of the National Employment & Entitlements Service
|
June-11
|
Aug-11
|
€186,563
|
Report on Pension Charges in Ireland
|
Oct-11
|
Oct-12
|
€61,500
|
Social Inclusion Forum – Conference Report
|
Nov-11
|
Aug-12
|
€1,500
|
Social Welfare Appeals Office – Research on Insurability Issues & Access to Legal Resources
|
2011
|
2011
|
€7,744
|
Review of Irish Pensions Policy
|
Jan-12
|
Apr-13
|
€130,000
|
Analysis & Measurement of Poverty & Deprivation 2012:
1.Work & Poverty in Ireland: An Analysis of CSO Survey on Income & Living Conditions 2004-2010
2. Technical Paper on Poverty Indicators – [Appendix C of Report of the Review of the National Poverty Target]
3. Implications of Income Pooling & Household Decision-Making for Poverty & Deprivation
|
Jan-12
|
Q4-2012
|
€81,230
|
FÁS IS Applications Systems Review
|
Jan-12
|
Internal Management Report
|
€44,772
|
Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund
|
Feb-12
|
Jun-12
|
€153,750
|
Evaluation of JobBridge (National Internship Scheme)
|
Apr-12
|
Apr-13
|
€59,557
|
Developing system architecture for the National Employment & Entitlements Service
|
June-12
|
Internal Management Report
|
€4,600
|
Risk assessments regarding reception areas [Arklow, Tallaght, & Kings Inn, Dublin Local Offices]
|
June-12
|
Internal Management Report
|
€1,845
|
Air Quality Investigation, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada
|
Aug-12
|
Internal Management Report
|
€3,383
|
Air Quality Investigation, Ballymun Local Office
|
Aug-12
|
Internal Management Report
|
€3,644
|
Report on Pension Priority Order
|
Sep-12
|
Feb-13
|
€18,450
|
Contracted Employment Service Model
|
Nov-12
|
Internal Management Report
|
€87,402
|
Mobile ApplicationsOpportunity Exploration
|
Feb-13
|
Internal Management Report
|
€33,388
|
Social Inclusion Forum – Conference Report
|
Mar-13
|
Sep-13
|
€1,500
|
Diet Supplement Diet Costing’s Update
|
Apr-13
|
Q1-2014
|
€4,000
|
Health & Safety Review of DSP premises, Upper Gardiner St, Dublin 1
|
April-13
|
Internal Management Report
|
€1,100
|
Analysis & Measurement of Poverty & Social Exclusion 2013 programme:
1. Social Transfers & Poverty in Boom & Recession
2. Indicators of Economic Strain in the Great Recession
|
June-13
|
1. Dec-13
2. Q2-2014 (expected)
|
€79,968
|
Delivery of Administrative Profiling Models to Identify those at Risk of Labour Market Disadvantage
|
July-13
|
Q1-2014 (expected)
|
€33,745
|
A Review of In-work Supports for the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare
|
July 2013
|
Q4-2014
|
€10,000
|
Advisory report on implementation of European Youth Guarantee in Irish circumstances
|
Sept- 2013
|
Q1-2014
|
€50,000
|
Auto Enrolment & Applicability to Ireland (Pensions)
|
Mid 2013
|
Internal Management Report
|
€9,900
|
Report on Organisation Development
|
Sept- 2013
|
Internal Management Report
|
€122,692
|
Survey Air quality in Nutgrove LO
|
Nov-13
|
Internal Management Report
|
€2,900
|
Social Welfare Appeals Office – Research into Revising Decisions
|
Dec -2013
|
Internal Management Report
|
€2,400
|
Evaluation Research (Back to Education Allowance)
|
Nov 2013
|
Internal Management Report
|
€24,809
|
Analysis & Measurement of Poverty & Social Exclusion 2014 programme:
1. Transitions into and out of household joblessness using CSO SILC data
2. Measuring Irish joblessness: The SILC and LFS data sources
|
Q1 2014
|
Q4-2014
|
€80,000
|
Reports
|
Date commissioned
|
Date completed/
published
|
Cost €
|
Independent review on managing client demand within MABS:
MABS Review - Managing Client Demand
|
April 2011
|
September 2011
|
12,069
|
CIB Data Strategy
|
21 June 2012
|
Dec 2012
Internal Management Report
|
34,440
|
Qualitative Study on Client Casework in MABS
|
October 2012
|
July 2013
|
30,135
|
Limited review of the NAS
|
3 October 2012
|
Feb 2013
Internal Management Report
|
6,150
|
Review of MABS National Development Limited
|
21 December 2012
|
March 2013
Internal Management Report
|
12,131
|
The Role and Contribution of Employment Programmes in Service Delivery in Citizens Information Services (CISs)
|
January 2013
|
Not yet published
|
33,742
|
Thematic Social Policy Reports
|
June 2013
|
Not yet completed
|
36,900
|
Review of National Traveller MABS
|
2 Sept 2013
|
Nov 2013
Internal Management Report
|
10,000
|
Feasibility study on the Integration of Services
|
9 Dec 2013
|
Not yet completed
|
95,940
|