Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Finance the advertisements he has placed in national papers or elsewhere regarding his co-ordination of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 to ensure that members of the public are aware of the consultation period. [13957/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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In keeping with the Government's commitment to an extensive consultation process on the next National Development Plan 2007-2013, my Department is undertaking consultations on the plan with the social partners, the regional assemblies, regional authorities and a number of concerned interest groups such as the Heritage Council, Comhar, the Combat Poverty Agency and the Western Development Commission.

These groups cover a very wide span and represent a broad and diverse spectrum of the public. They include employers' bodies and business organisations, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, representatives of the farming community, community and voluntary organisations, representatives of the regions and agencies involved in promoting sustainable development, heritage conservation, social inclusion and regional development. In addition, every Department inputting to the preparation of the plan will undertake consultations as appropriate within their own areas of responsibility. In light of this extensive and widely representative consultation process, invitation of submissions through general press advertisements is not being undertaken.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Finance the reason for the failure to produce to date an [i]ex ante[/i] evaluation of the National Development Plan 2007-2013; and if he has a date at which such an evaluation will be available. [13958/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Economic and Social Research Institute, ERSI, has been commissioned to do an ex ante evaluation of the National Development Plan 2007-2013. The evaluation is still at the drafting stage. I expect that it will be submitted for Government consideration over the next couple of months and I envisage that it will be published as soon as possible thereafter.