Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

Misappropriation of Irish Aid Funds in Uganda: Discussion with Irish Aid

11:40 am

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Rogers for his contribution. I am sure members will not mind if I ask a question before handing over to Deputy Smith. Mr. Rogers referred to the fact that our aid programme in Uganda is regularly examined and evaluated to ensure we have achieved effectiveness and value for money. It is done in a number of ways: through auditors based in our embassy in Kampala, by the evaluation and audit team at headquarters, and through international accountancy firms. Where was the money going in northern Uganda? Four million euro is a lot of money on the ground. Could one see at first hand where the money was going? I refer in particular to the education and gender balance programmes, malnutrition projects, HIV projects and physical structures such as buildings. Did our local Ugandan consultants, who are important people, have any suspicion at any stage of corruption in terms of how the money was spent? The sum amounts to €4 million, which is a lot of money to go unnoticed in the Irish Aid programme. Much of the money is channelled through government programmes. Was there physical infrastructure? With all the checks and balances in respect of the team of local Ugandan consultants, who were part of the Irish Aid advisory group, why was this not spotted by Irish Aid people? Could this be happening elsewhere?

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