Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has plans to re-evaluate the allocation of Irish Aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23889/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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As Deputy Timmins will be aware, I was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for overseas development last month. I am proud, as I believe the large majority of Irish people are, of our overseas development aid programme and the work of Irish Aid. At the same time, it is my intention to look at all aspects of the programme having due regard to the White Paper on Irish Aid. The White Paper sets out in clear terms the road map for the future development of Irish Aid, provides a framework for expenditure into the future and sets a benchmark against which our partners in Ireland and internationally can measure our performance.

In the past month I attended the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels where I met Development Ministers from the member states. I received a number of delegations from Irish NGOs and other implementing partners. I plan to meet the advisory board of Irish Aid in the very near future. In addition, I will travel this week to Malawi, Irish Aid's most recent programme country, which will give me first-hand knowledge and a greater insight into the complexities and challenges facing Irish Aid in one of the poorest countries in the developing world.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power, for his reply. I wish him well in his appointment. I also wish the Minister, Deputy Martin, well — I did not mention that at the outset.

Irish Aid is granted a great deal of money amounting to €814 million this year from his Department, or €914 million across all Departments. Irish Aid will come under the microscope increasingly to ensure we are getting value for money.

One of the areas where Irish Aid has been spent well is in the World Food Programme. With the increase in world food prices, what implications are there for the aid granted to that programme and is the Minister of State giving consideration to moving aid from the current programmes to the World Food Programme?

As I did not get an opportunity to stay on at the committee yesterday, I want to ask him about the smaller groups looking for funding for small projects. I refer to individuals or small NGOs, as opposed to the likes of Trócaire or Concern. My understanding from a few people who have approached the Department is that they have found the rules of engagement too cumbersome to make a submission worthwhile.

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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First, I share the views of the Deputy on the World Food Programme. This follows on from our discussion on the previous question, that world food prices is a major concern to the Deputy. That concern is very much shared on the Government side for the reasons I have explained.

We are already major contributors to the World Food Programme but I also see avenues available to us in terms of diverting additional moneys within our existing programme to the agricultural area. We already have a relatively high proportion of our aid going directly into agriculture through direct aid but also through our NGOs. Food security and supply will in the coming years become the key issue in international aid. We can explore that further.

Second, I take fully Deputy Timmins's points about the smaller NGOs. The reason I say so is that I believe such micro projects have an enormous capacity to inculcate and engender, particularly in young people, a sense of philanthropy and international development aid which in the long term may pay rich dividends for the country.

I am conscious of their interaction with Irish Aid. I met with representatives of one of those smaller projects earlier today and I can see the sort of road blocks of which the Deputy spoke. That is one of the matters I will examine over the coming months.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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There are two issues that I want the Minister of State to look at — these are only small in monetary terms. The first is the issue of the cost incurred by persons going to assist in aid projects in getting visas from the embassies. For example, the Indian embassy, the one with which I am familiar, charges for a visa. It is not much, but the sum might provide much benefit in the country of destination in relative terms. Where an Irish individual must get a visa to travel abroad for aid work, the embassies might look at giving a multiple visa to cover a period of time rather than a visa for one visit.

The second is account transaction fees. I am aware of an individual who is building a school in India on their own and each account transaction to withdraw money costs €25 which could provide many benefits to an individual in the country concerned. The Minister of State could make contact with the financial institutions to see whether they might look at waiving the bank fee for a transaction where the person is carrying out aid work.

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I can see the Deputy's point about visas. Certainly, smaller NGOs do not have the capacity, the experience or the logistics of the bigger NGOs and I can see how they would face such problems. The issuing of visas is outside the ambit of the Department as it relates to embassies of other countries and we do not have the power to influence those, but I take Deputy Timmins's point.

The issue of fees charged for account transactions is also very much outside the ambit of the Department, although I can see how it would cause difficulties to smaller NGOs. The Department can write to the financial institutions to see whether something can be done in that area.

On the general point, it would be our intention to streamline the process and make matters easier for the smaller NGOs, which could become much bigger NGOs in the future. I am excited about some of the projects in which they are involved and I want to encourage them in every way.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That concludes Priority Questions. We will now move on to Other Questions.