Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The Department has no problem fulfilling its functions with the existing cohort of staff personnel. In regard to engaging 500 consultancies over the past five years, 87% of them are in the area of overseas development aid. Most of them are small time related consultancies because we do not have this expertise within the Department. They ensure value for taxpayers' money in regard to the development programmes, mainly across sub-Saharan Africa. I assure the Deputy that the larger intake of consultancies is due to the expansion of the ODA programme. As there will be a substantial increase in funding for the ODA programme in the Estimates next week, I have no doubt the number of consultancies will expand even further, and this will happen again in 2007.

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