Cabinet expected to discuss hiring of outside consultants
Government ministers are expected to discuss the controversial use of external consultants at their weekly Cabinet meeting today.
The ministers are expected to discuss the Department of Finance's guidelines on the hiring of consultants and whether they should be changed.
The move follows widespread criticism of the amount of money the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition is paying out to such people.
It emerged last week that the Government had spent at least €175m since 1998 on outside consultants, including €60m in relation to controversial computer systems in the health service.
The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, later admitted that too much was being spent on consultants and said the hiring of such people by the Department of Health would in future require ministerial consent.
Newspaper reports yesterday said this had caused concern among some Fianna Fáil ministers, who do not want similar arrangements introduced in their departments.
