Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2015
191. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the expenditure on consultancy by her Department; the number of consultants engaged by her Department in the years 2011 to 2014; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and 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. [18960/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is outlined on the following tables. It should be noted by the Deputy that the 2014 expenditure includes several engagements which commenced in 2013 but final payment was not made until 2014. It is also the case that significant investment has been made in the use of consultant services to progress components of the public sector reform agenda for example digital strategy in schools and shared services projects. My Department continues to monitor proposals to engage external consultants to ensure value for money.
|
Completion date |
Status of Report |
reports/reviews/studies |
Total Cost 2011 |
|
December-11 |
* |
2011 annual review paper on Northern Ireland Postgraduate Courses |
€2,420.00 |
|
April-11 |
No Report |
Recommendations to the Minister on the preferred proposal for designation of a single awarding authority together with recommendations considered necessary in relation to modification or development of the preferred proposal for implementation purposes |
€1,927.86 |
|
October-14 |
No Report |
Subscription for provision of ICT research, advice, guidance & related services 1/10/2011 - 30/09/2012 |
€35,150.49 |
|
November-10 |
* |
Review in an appeal against an inspection under section 13 (9) of the Education Act 1998 |
€920.00 |
|
March-11 |
Published by the HEA June 2011 |
Criteria for the proposed re-designation of amalgamated institutes of Technology Universities arising from the recommendations of the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 |
€9,075.00 |
|
June-11 |
Completed |
Advice on necessary redactions and initial advice on possible updated accounting arrangements |
€8,410.71 |
|
January-12 |
Published April 2012 |
Report to the Minister on the Forum on Patronage & Pluralism in the Primary Sector. |
€20,000.00 |
|
March-12 |
Published March 2012 |
Evaluation of the Special Education Support Service. |
€97,866.01 |
|
December-11 |
Published February 2012 |
Evaluation of the Initial Implementation of Síolta, the National Quality framework for Early Childhood Education |
€31,280.92 |
|
November-11 |
Published November 2011 |
Evaluation of the training and education programmes for the unemployed delivered under LMAF 2010 |
€52,003.38 |
|
August-11 |
Published ESF website August 2011 |
Mid term Evaluation of the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013 |
€61,589.00 |
|
April-11 |
* |
Audits of the national agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme in Ireland to serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of Assurance from International Section to the European Commission |
€13,212.99 |
|
June-11 |
* |
Pensions advisory work relating to the establishment of a pension scheme for staff of the NCTE |
€4,791.60 |
|
April-12 |
* |
Commercial Financial & Technical Procurement advice for Schools Broadband Tender |
€63,632.51 |
|
October-11 |
* |
External audit of Dell and Waterford Crystal EGF programmes |
€5,445.00 |
|
* Internal reports -not for publication |
2011 Total: |
€407,725.47 |
|
Completion date |
Status of Report |
Reports/Reviews/Studies |
Total Cost 2012 |
|
March-13 |
* |
Commercial, financial and technical advice on the procurement of broadband services for schools |
€52,040.42 |
|
December-11 |
Published |
Evaluation of the Initial Implementation of Síolta, the National Quality framework for Early Childhood Education |
€16,747.68 |
|
2012 |
* |
IT Security Audit of the EUSF IT Database |
€5,063.91 |
|
June-12 |
* |
Audit of Labour Market Activation Fund (LMAF) |
€9,839.14 |
|
December-12 |
No Report |
Provision of Oracle Financials training support along with training documentation in the implementation of Performance Budgeting |
€2,070.00 |
|
December-12 |
No Report |
Provision of Oracle Financials training support along with training documentation in the implementation of Performance Budgeting |
€17,302.88 |
|
January-13 |
No Report |
Training and expert advice relating to the Public Service Pensions Bill and training and advice in relation to the Legal Framework and Family Law |
€2,700.00 |
|
February-12 |
* |
Review of an appeal against an inspection under section 13(9) of the Education Act |
€718.75 |
|
December-12 |
No Report |
Provision of Oracle Financials functional & accounting advice in moving from a four vote operating unit to a single operating unit |
€11,606.90 |
|
2020 |
No Report |
Provision of international expertise on Literacy & Numeracy to the Literacy and Numeracy Implementation Advisory Committee |
€3,870.13 |
|
October-14 |
No Report |
Subscription for provision of ICT research, advice, guidance & related services |
€36,788.67 |
|
October-12 |
* |
Completion of a workplace assessment for staff member with a disability and resulting report |
€370.00 |
|
April-11 |
No Report |
Costs relating to Recommendations to the Minister on the preferred proposal for designation of a single awarding authority together with recommendations considered necessary in relation to modification or development of the preferred proposal for implementation purposes which were paid in 2012 |
€83.66 |
|
December-12 |
* |
2012 annual review paper on Northern Ireland Postgraduate Courses |
€1,845.00 |
|
April-12 |
* |
Audits of the national agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme in Ireland to serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of Assurance from International Section to the European Commission |
€16,568.10 |
|
* Internal reports -not for publication |
2012 Total: |
€177,615.24 |
|
Completion date |
Status of Report |
Reports/Reviews/Studies |
Total Cost 2013 |
|
June-13 |
* |
Review of an inspection report under Section 13(9) of the Education Act 1998. |
€460.00 |
|
December-13 |
No Report |
2013 annual review paper Northern Ireland Postgraduate Courses |
€1,845.00 |
|
October-13 |
No Report |
Consulting services in relation to the Management Framework Agreement between City of Dublin Education & Training Board and the Department of Education & Skills for the centralised Administration of Student Grants. |
€5,904.00 |
|
March-14 |
Feb-15 |
Review of Visiting Teachers for children with hearing & Visual Impairment (VTHVI) Service, Ireland |
€10,947.00 |
|
March-14 |
Feb-15 |
Review of Visiting Teachers for children with hearing & Visual Impairment (VTHVI) Service, Ireland |
€0.00*** |
|
February-13 |
No Report |
Post Performance Budgeting Support- Consultancy |
€2,169.14 |
|
October-14 |
No Report |
IT Leaders Advisor Subscription 07/2013 to 06/2014 including credit in respect of 07-08/2013. Provision of ICT Research, advice, guidance and related services. |
€41,061.50 |
|
November-13 |
* |
External Review of historic funding and financial arrangements for Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) centres funded by the Department. |
€0.00*** |
|
Q2-2014 |
No Report |
To assist in development of a new organisational design for Education & Training Boards (ETBs) and SOLAS |
€0.00*** |
|
Q2-2014 |
Report due May 2014 |
Provision of external expert assistance for the development of a Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) and implementation roadmap for an integrated payroll shared service for the ETB/SOLAS sector in accordance with the shared services commitments set out in the Government's Public Service Reform Plan. |
€0.00*** |
|
February-14 |
* |
Consultancy Services to provide input to ICT Census of Primary, Post Primary and special schools and analysis of census data |
€0.00*** |
|
March-13 |
No Report |
Pensions Advisory work relating to the establishment of a pension scheme for the staff of the NCTE |
€2,152.50 |
|
April-14 |
1st report April14 final report June/July 14 |
Ex-Ante Evaluation of the ESF Operational Programme in preparation for the period 2014-2020 |
€0.00*** |
|
January-14 |
* |
External Audit of EGF Talk Talk Programme |
€0.00*** |
|
April-14 |
* |
Audits of the national agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme in Ireland to serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of Assurance from International Section to the European Commission. |
€14,475.34 |
|
January-13 |
No Report |
Provision of training & advice relating to the Public Service Pensions Bill |
€200.00 |
|
December-14 |
No Report |
Provision of customised Business Process Improvement training to include coaching (with provision of advice) of relevant staff |
€4,428.00 |
|
March-14 |
No Report |
Shared Financial Services Project - provision of Oracle Financials support to set up purchasing module |
€7,595.25 |
|
December-13 |
Audits of the national agencies for the new Erasmus+ Programme in Ireland to serve as the basis for the submission of the ex-ante compliance assessment from International Section to the European Commission. |
0.00*** |
|
|
* Internal reports not for publication |
2013 Total: |
€91,237.73 |
*** Consultancies engaged in 2013 but where no payment had been made by year end
|
Completion Date |
Status of Report |
Purpose of Consultancy |
Total Cost 2014 |
|
Jun-15 |
No Report |
Provision of ICT research, advice, guidance and related services to the IT Unit |
42,435.00 |
|
Jun-14 |
Not Known |
Review of the Visiting Teachers service for blind and visually impaired and deaf and hard of hearing (VTVHI) |
€15,363.24 |
|
Nov-13 |
* |
External Review of funding and financial arrangements for Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) centres funded by the Department. |
€4,000.00 |
|
Feb-14 |
No Report |
Accessibility audit of the Department's website |
€4,850.00 |
|
Apr-14 |
No Report |
Creation of brand guidelines and logo re Springboard, ICT Skills Conversion, Momentum, the Skillnets Jobseekers Programmes, Job Bridge and Jobs Plus |
€5,412.00 |
|
Mar-15 |
No Report |
SUSI Review - Phase 1. Review of the learning gained from the establishment of the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). |
€7,000.00 |
|
Dec-14 |
No Report |
Review Paper on Southern Irish Postgraduates in Northern Ireland, to comply with Section 8(5) of the Student Support Act 2011. |
€1,845.00 |
|
Jun-14 |
No Report |
Consultancy Service provided to MAC in relation to Planning Activities. |
€2,892.50 |
|
Nov-14 |
Affidavit to Court of Appeal |
Specialist expert advice on the application by STS Ltd to adduce new evidence to the Court of Appeal in its appeal of the HC judgement of 23rd October, 2012 |
€35,842.20 |
|
Feb015 |
No Report |
Provision of Oracle Financials consultancy services to support the proof of concept phase of the preparation of the move to the Financial Shared Services Project |
€34,557.50 |
|
Jan-15 |
Published Jan 2015 |
Report on the Evaluation of DEIS |
0*** |
|
Dec-14 |
No |
New organisational design for ETBs and SOLAS |
11,623.50 |
|
Jul-14 |
No |
Provision of support for the development of the Business Case for ETB Shared Services Payroll Project |
81,549.00 |
|
Jun-14 |
Jun-14 |
Leading a Working Group on proposals for a new model for allocating teaching resources for students with special educational needs to mainstream schools. |
€9,880.00 |
|
Apr-14 |
No |
Audits of the national agencies for the Lifelong Learning Programme in Ireland to serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of Assurance to the European commission |
€14,975.25 |
|
Dec-13 |
No |
Audits of the national agencies for the Erasmus + Programme in Ireland to serve as the basis for the submission of Declarations of the ex ante compliance assessment to the European commission |
€10,455.00 |
|
Jul-14 |
Jan-15 |
Ex Ante Evaluation of the ESF Operational Programme |
€53,218.00 |
|
Jan-14 |
No |
External Auditing Services |
€3,195.39 |
|
Feb-15 |
No |
Advice and guidance on the development and implementation of the Digital Strategy for schools. |
€33,517.50 |
|
Nov-14 |
No |
As part of the development of the Digital Strategy for schools, the running of focus groups, conducting analysis and summarise the data, and reporting findings |
€19,000.00 |
|
Sep-14 |
The provision of input to ICT census of primary, post-primary, and special schools and analysis of census data |
€24,624.00 |
|
|
Jun-14 |
No |
Business Process Improvement Training (BPI) |
€23,899.65 |
|
Mar-15 |
No |
Provision of Guidelines relating to best practice approach by management regarding delegation, meeting and coaching skills. |
€2,447.70 |
|
* Internal reports not for publication |
€442,582.43 |
*** Consultancies engaged in 2014 but where no payment had been made by year end
