Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of submissions he has received in respect of the recent request for public submissions on the future direction of Ireland's overseas aid programme; his plans for public meetings and a stakeholder conference on the issue; when the public consultation process will finish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7694/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Deputy's question and any other question that serves to heighten interest in, and awareness of, the Government's intention to produce the first ever White Paper on official development assistance, ODA. On 16 February last, I issued a press release announcing the Government's intention to seek submissions from interested parties on the future direction of Ireland's aid programme. This announcement was followed by the publication in the national press of advertisements inviting such submissions. The advertisements asked that submissions be forwarded by 30 April, that is, ten weeks after the initial announcement. I have also been writing to representatives of interested organisations reiterating my interest in learning their views.

My officials are currently monitoring the submissions already received at this early stage. I purposely allowed a period of ten weeks for sending in submissions to ensure that those who wish to do so have sufficient time to prepare considered and comprehensive submissions. I therefore would not wish to say anything now that might cause them to feel that they are under any constraint to respond before the announced deadline of 30 April. A number of organisations are still preparing papers and I am grateful for the time and effort they are putting into their presentations and look forward to studying them in due course.

I intend to hold a number of public meetings in different locations throughout the country to allow the public to engage directly in the debate on the future of ODA. The first public meeting will be held on 13 April in Limerick, the future home of Development Cooperation Ireland under the Government's programme of decentralisation. I intend to follow up with seven further meetings in other parts of the country running into early summer. My officials are at present finalising venues and dates. It is intended that the advisory board for Development Cooperation Ireland will convene a full stakeholder conference on the issue, probably in early September.

The public consultation process will be followed by a period of analysis and distillation of submissions received and of the views expressed at the public meetings. I expect during this period that there will be ongoing informal contacts with the stakeholders, leading to the drafting of the paper. I envisage that the White Paper will be submitted to Government for approval early in 2006.