Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

I wish to voice my dissatisfaction. During Question Time last month we heard a great deal of bluster and huffing and puffing from the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Conor Lenihan, as he tried to mask the disastrous position of the decentralisation of Irish Aid to Limerick. Why, on that occasion, did he not inform the House that major legal problems had arisen with regard to the decentralisation programme? He chose to make these problems public during a visit to South Africa. Will the Minister of State comment on the remarks made by the head of Dóchas who stated decentralisation will damage the efforts of Irish Aid? Does he agree that the matter is descending into a shambles, given that moneys donated to non-governmental organisations to assist their efforts in the Third World will be wasted on making trips to the decentralised office and there will be no direct link to between the NGOs and Irish Aid? Will he admit that a major problem has arisen in the decentralisation programme?

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