€514,000 was the cost of consultancy advice for the Inis Cealtra project in 2021.
“SPIRALLING COSTS” spent on consultancy fees by Clare County Council need to be addressed, a Shannon representative has stressed.
Since 2017, there has been a threefold increase in the amount of expenditure on consultants from the coffers of Clare County Council.
Data obtained by Clare FM revealed that the local authority spent €1.6m (2017), €3.2m (2018), €4.4m (2020) and €5.5m (2021) on advice and assistance from consultants. Of the 2021 payments, €580,000 (Shannon Bridge crossing), €540,000 (Inis Cealtra project), €512,000 (Cliffs of Moher visitor centre) while ‘a significant portion’ was forked out for the Country Library project.
In a proposal before the local authority, Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND) pointed to “the economic crisis affecting the citizens of Clare” when he urged the Chief Executive “to reduce the Council’s expenses to outside consultants. I am requesting where possible that this work is carried out by suitably qualified employees of Clare County Council. I am hopeful that the Chief Executive Officer can address this spiralling cost to Clare County Council’s Annual Budget”. The motion was seconded by Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF).
Director of Finance and Support Services, Noeleen Fitzgerald said “over the past number of years the level of expenditure budgeted on professional fees and consultancy in the revenue account has remained static”.
She added, “Consultancy and professional fees in 2021 to the Revenue account was €742k (0.88% of non-pay expenditure in 2021). Of this total, €275k was recouped from several entities as it related to specialist services that this Council does not have employed as there may not be a regular full time need for the service”.
According to Ms Fitzgerald, the Council’s use of external consultants was for “multifactorial” reasons. “Expertise is procured from a combination of in-house expertise from experienced staff and/or outsourced services where the work may be once off and may not warrant the permanent skill in house over the long term, or where there is a specialist requirement for these works,” she said.
So far as Cllr Flynn was concerned “substantial” money was being put towards consultants. He encouraged the Chief Executive to make “greater use of in-house staff, we’ve a lot of expertise in Clare County Council. We have more than capable people to do the job rather than having consultants running out of the county with our money. Whether it is capital or revenue, it is all coming out of public purse”.
Across the different directorates of the Council there is “a huge amount of expertise,” Cllr Ann Norton (IND) agreed. “I know there is certain areas that Clare County Council have to use external bodies but if at all possible, it would be better value if we could use the staff in-house more so than looking for external companies”.
Paying for consultants was defended by Cllr Joe Killeen (FF). “I can think of a lot of projects put forward since I became a councillor, they have complex planning and public consultation, we have to realise that the projects have to be shovel ready in order to drawn down funding. Unless everything is ready to go, then it is very difficult to draw down funding. I can think of a lot of projects that would not have moved forward if it were not for the consultants”.
Better balance needs to exist, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) maintained. He recalled that the first time consultants were mentioned to him, “I was told they lived fifty miles away and had briefcases”. He continued, “I think we’ve more money spent on consultants than the job done, projects are prolonged. We’ve now more spent on consultants than on the job”.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Executive, Pat Dowling said the local authority “will always try to find value for money and efficiencies in what we do”. He added, “It’s a measure of the productivity and innovation we’re displaying as a county. We always need to look at our internal resources. We’ve gone from buying houses to building houses, the requirement for consultancy continues there. We cannot manage without it”.
“It would be great to apply positive discrimination where we use consultants that pay rates in Clare but I’m sure the application process doesn’t allow that,” Cllr Flynn responded.
