Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 June 2018

Public Accounts Committee

2016 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 14 - Control of Ireland's Bilateral Assistance Programme
Vote 27 - International Co-operation
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade

9:00 am

Mr. Ruairí de Búrca:

People sometimes overpledge, but that is not our tradition. Our tradition is that if we pledge money, we pay it. Sometimes, we pledge over a multiannual period and we keep track of that in the Department. If we pledge €20 million over three years, we ensure that we have paid it out by the end of the third year. By and large, we have done that. The only time I am aware of when we undershot was in or about 2010 when, for reasons to do with the economy here, there were big budget cuts. In that instance, we tried to do it in a way which was agreed and notified to allow partners to plan.

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