Consultancy Contracts Data

Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Ceisteanna (450)

Mattie McGrath

Ceist:

450. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the consultancy service providers engaged by his Department from 1 January 2018 to 1 January 2019; the costs associated with each (details supplied); the reason for each service engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43306/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

It is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy in the required time.

The information is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A

The Minister's earlier reply stated that it was not possible to provide the information requested in the required time and that a reply would be forwarded to you as soon as the data was compiled.

I now wish to advise you that the information requested on the costs accumulated under 'Consultancy Services' in the administration category of the Revised Estimates in the year in question is set out in the following table.

The Department seeks to minimise the use of consultants and only engages consultancy services when particular additional expertise is required for delivery of the services which support the business processes of the Department. Such services are used in areas where highly specialist skills are not available within the Department and where it would not make practical, operational or economic sense to build up this capability within the Department.

2018

NAME OF CONSULTANCY PROVIDER	PROJECT	COST
Deloitte	Feasibility report for the Agri-Food Careers Portal	25,805
McCarthy Keville O'Sullivan	Plan for Forestry & FPM Ireland	24,620
McCarthy Keville O'Sulllivan	Forestry Programme 2014 -2020 Review Consultation	7,503
Public Affairs Ireland	GDPR related staff training	1,700
POP	GDPR related staff training	995

Expenditure under this Heading in the Financial Outturn for 2018 also includes an amount of €63,714 paid by my Department to the Irish Harness Racing Association towards the cost of publishing their Strategic Plan in 2018 and €4,383 to cover costs associated with the Department's internal Evaluation Programme.