Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The expertise we require does not rest within any Department. The marketing skills needed in the United States are entirely different from those needed in Germany and France. The agencies must employ people who are based in these countries. That would not be possible for a Department unless new embassies were established. It is our responsibility to determine the budget for these employees and to ensure they are accountable. If we can develop ways to ensure greater accountability, I would be happy to do so, but we would not serve the needs of the country by subsuming these four agencies into the Department.

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