Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In October 2012 we suspended over €16 million of Ireland's development assistance to Uganda following the discovery of fraud in the Office of the Prime Minister. In response to our strong action the Government of Uganda has since refunded in full the €4 million of Irish Aid funds which were misappropriated. A full report on the fraud by the evaluation and audit unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been completed. The report concludes that adequate steps were taken to recover the funds involved and strengthen our own systems and redirect our aid through non-government channels. In addition, reviews of the internal controls and risk management systems in all Irish Aid partner countries, including Uganda, have been completed by the evaluation and audit unit. The recommendations made in these reviews are being implemented as a matter of priority.

The Irish Aid programme has a strong focus on development results. All of our programmes are robustly appraised. All partners, including NGO partners, are

monitored regularly, with periodic field visits to ensure results are being achieved and that we are getting good value for money from our support. I am satisfied that our strong oversight of the aid programme ensures the valuable support provided by Ireland is reaching the intended targets and making a real contribution to improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. I can confirm that independent evaluations have consistently confirmed this and that it remains an absolute priority to ensure Irish Aid continues to operate to the highest standards of accountability.

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