Government departments spent €11m on consultants' reports last year

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS spent almost €11 million on consultants' reports last year and the most expensive was €3.8 million for legal advice on the bank guarantee scheme.

According to figures supplied by 12 of the 15 departments, commissioned reports last year cost the State €10.952 million.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley and Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin did not reply to the parliamentary question asked across all departments by Labour finance spokeswoman Joan Burton about the number and cost of each report commissioned.

Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe said the information was being compiled.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said nine reports had been commissioned "at costs varying from approximately €3,600 to €47,000". Each of the remaining 12 Ministers listed the reports commissioned and their individual cost.

The Department of Finance spent most on expert reports. Arthur Cox provided legal advice to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan at a cost of €3,882,000 on the bank guarantee scheme introduced in September 2008.

Seven other reports were also commissioned, including a review of the National Pensions Reserve by former governor of the Central Bank Maurice O'Connell, for which there was no charge. The best known of the commissioned reports is the McCarthy report, which cost €42,148.

The Department of Foreign Affairs including its overseas aid wing Ireland Aid, spent €1,561,154 on a total of 42 reports. Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin commissioned three reports linked to the Lisbon referendum, including the document on establishing "reasons underlying the result of the [ first] referendum on the Lisbon Treaty". It cost €138,061 while a report on attitudes and behaviours in the referendum cost €11,800. A third report for a communication action plan to direct spending on "Communicating Europe" was billed for €48,000. Irish Aid spent approximately €1 million on 36 reports, many of them audits on programmes funded by the State's overseas aid wing.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan commissioned 10 reports for €884,618.65. Four were linked to oil and gas exploration, including €47,204 for a review of the Corrib environmental impact study, €22,870 for technical assistance on Corrib gas safety matters and €267,953 for an assessment of oil and gas activity in the Rockall basin. The department also spent €148,437 on the study of the relative merits of overhead electricity transmission lines versus underground cables.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment commissioned 21 reports for €860,815 including €273,460 for an assessment of the restructuring plan for the State training agency Fás.

Some 13 reports for the Department of Health cost €855,731 including a fee of €397,540 for an assessment of how to achieve a 35-hour week for nurses.

Twelve reports for the Department of Transport cost €844,290, including a cost efficiency review of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann at €306,959, and €236,925 for advice linked to terminal two at Dublin airport.

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon ÓCuív commissioned 10 reports, which cost €690,521 including €299,280 for advice on the formulation of the 20-year strategic plan for the Irish language.

Mr Ó Cuív pointed out in his reply that his department "has made available on its website details regarding consultancies, [ excepting those of minor value ie, less than €5,000 excluding VAT], relating to the period since its inception in June 2002".

The Taoiseach's department had an outlay of €484,562 for five reports, the most expensive of which was the review of the economic regulatory environment which cost €408,375.

The Department of Defence spent €212,238 including €37,109 on a report linked to bullying and discrimination and €30,129 for an evaluation of bracken control in the Glen of Imaal.

Six reports for the Department of Agriculture cost €141,226. The most expensive was €74,084 for an evaluation of the 2000-2006 rural development plan, which the department was obliged to carry out due to EU regulatory requirements. The reports also included a BSE risk analysis at €4,595.