Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and all the people working there. I dealt with the Department when I was based in Brussels as a Member of the European Parliament. Its officials were always extremely helpful with anything we were involved in.

I raise the issue of non-governmental organisations, NGOs. We see that €91 million was disbursed, predominantly to Irish NGOs. Can the witnesses outline what the checks and balances are there when money is disbursed to an NGO? A colleague has already raised the issue of one organisation where funding was stopped in 2017. What kind of system is there for checking how that money is spent and making sure it is spent on the projects that are outlined to the Department?