Departments paid €7.6m to legal and consultancy firms

Legal and consultancy firms were the big winners in the €7.6m paid out last year by the Government’s two finance departments.

The Department of Public Expenditure last year paid out €4.3m to consultants, while the Department of Finance paid €3.3m to consultants during the 12 month period.

In figures provided to Independent TD Tom Fleming, Finance Minister Michael Noonan confirmed €739,854 was paid out by his department to Matheson for legal advice relating to the acquisition and sale of Irish Life.

Mr Noonan revealed that the largest pay-out by the department last year was to legal firm, Arthur Cox, which received €1.72m for legal advice on restructuring of the banking system.

Between May 1, 2011, and Dec 31, 2013, Arthur Cox received a total of €5.37m in fees from the department, he stated.

The minister also confirmed that Mercer (Ireland) Ltd received €146,370 concerning its review on the remuneration practices and frameworks at the financial institutions that were subject to the Government’s bailout.

He also confirmed Nama received €381,494 for advice it provided to the ministerial advisory group.

Mr Noonan also stated that Red C Research and Marketing Ltd received €118,572 for ‘professional services in relation to the SME lending survey’ with Dr Anil Shivdasani receiving €67,360 for acting as an expert witness in a High Court case.

Crowe Howarth received €36,580 for its review of the State’s R&D tax credit system, while PCMA Economic Consulting received €49,043 for a medium term economic strategy.

In separate figures provided to Mr Fleming, Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin confirmed Accenture received €2.245m for consultancy services for ‘civil service human resources and pension shared services’.

Mr Howlin stated Davy Corporate Finance received the second highest amount when it received €568,875 relating to the “financial and commercial advice regarding the competition for the next National Lotterylicence”.

He also confirmed that Deloitte received €462,611 relating to three contracts, with one contract concerning consultancy services for the ‘civil service banking and financial management shared services project’ totalling €226,552, and a second, providing consultancy services for the ‘civil service payroll shared services project’ of €180,587.

The third contract, relating to consultancy services concerning public service reform, totalled €55,472.

The figures show that Core International received €220,884 for technology consultancy services for the civil service payroll shared services project.

Mr Howlin also confirmed that Peter Smyth Consultancy received €110,700 for providing expert assistance concerning the establishment of the Office of Government Procurement.

The figures also show that Richard Humphreys received €108,131 relating to ‘legal advice and statute law reform director’.

Ernst & Young received €84,374 for three separate projects including a feasibility study.