Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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This meeting has been called to consider the Revised Estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Dáil ordered on 18 December 2013 that the following Revised Estimates for public services be referred to this committee for consideration: Vote 27- International Co-operation, and Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs and Trade. I welcome the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, and the senior officials, including the Secretary General, from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to this meeting of the select committee. The purpose of this meeting is for the select committee to consider the Revised Estimates for the Department. The select committee, when considering the Estimates, will do so under the following headings: context and impact indicators, key outputs, financial and human resource inputs;and a preliminary exchange on the allocations and targets. It is proposed that we begin with Vote 28 and that we examine it programme by programme and then proceed to Vote 27. I call the Tánaiste to make a short opening statement on Vote 28.