Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

We received sanction for 20 additional posts as part of the last Estimates round. In the next fortnight, I will enter into a further Estimate discussion with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen. We were grateful that those 20 posts, 16 of which have been filled to date, were allocated specifically for audit, evaluation and monitoring of the programme. Two of those 16 are auditors hired specifically for the audit unit, while the other 14 were assigned various monitoring roles in the expanding aid programme. The reason we have been unable to hire four of the 20 staff sanctioned last year is because of the uncertainty regarding specialists.

In the coming year, the hiring and recruitment process in Irish Aid will not be influenced by a year-to-year approach. We are now, in conjunction with the Department of Finance, in the midst of a major review of the management structure of Irish Aid. We hope this will be concluded by the middle or perhaps the end of this year. This will determine the future staffing, resourcing and management structures required for the programme, whose current budget of €813 million will grow to some €1.5 billion by 2012. The management review will examine not just staffing but all aspects of the programme. The objective is to determine how best to manage a programme of this enormous size.

The staffing requirements for the expanded aid programme will be determined this year. I hope, in 2008, either I or whoever takes my place will be in a position to look at the expanded staff requirement. There is undoubtedly a requirement for additional staff across all areas of Irish Aid's operation. The key issue philosophically is whether those staff should be based in Limerick or Dublin. Irish Aid operates under the Department's remit and the political and human rights divisions are based in Dublin. The issue is whether we increase the staff load in Dublin or Limerick, or, in combination with either or both, assign additional field staff in locations such as Geneva, New York, Brussels or Rome, where the UNFAO is based.

That is the purpose of the management review and we hope it will be concluded by the autumn, if not sooner. It will determine the staff required for the expanded programme.

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