Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 320: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the budgetary allocation for each of the public bodies, executive agencies, advisory bodies and task forces operating under his Department. [27785/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Four bodies come under the aegis of this Department. Two of these, namely, the Advisory Board for Irish Aid and the Development Education Advisory Committee are funded under Vote 29 (International Cooperation) as part of the Irish Aid Programme. In 2006, their budget allocations are €1.2million and €25,000 respectively. The Díon Committee is an advisory committee to the Irish Government on the welfare of Irish people in Britain. With the exception of the Chair and Secretary, who are serving in the Embassy of Ireland in London, the Committee members serve in a voluntary capacity. While there is no specific budgetary allocation for the Díon Committee, the Department of Foreign Affairs covers the administration expenses that arise from the Committee's activities, including the travel and accommodation costs of Committee members.

The Ireland-United States Commission for Educational Exchange (Fulbright Commission) is a statutory body established under the Educational Exchange (Ireland and the United States of America) Act, 1991. Under the Programme, awards are made annually, through open competition, to post-graduate students and post-doctoral scholars and to established leaders of professional, academic and artistic excellence who are recognised in their fields. The Irish and US governments both financially contribute to the operation of the Fulbright Commission. This year's grant-in-aid to the Commission is €254,000 and is funded under Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs).

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of positions in State bodies under the aegis of his Department which are affected by the increase in non-executive chairpersons' fees of State bodies recently sanctioned by the Government. [27799/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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No fees are paid to the chairpersons of the Advisory Board for Development Cooperation Ireland, the Development Education Advisory Committee or the Board of the Ireland — United States Commission for Educational Exchange (Fulbright Commission). In the case of the fourth body under the aegis of the Department, an official of the Embassy in London acts, without additional remuneration, as chairperson of the Díon Committee (an advisory committee on Irish emigrants in Britain). This Department is, therefore, not affected by the increase in fees referred to by the Deputy.

Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of task forces which have been created by his Department and their function, size, membership, reporting mechanism and period of existence since 1997. [27825/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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During the period in question, two task forces were created to inform specific areas of the work of this Department. Both have since completed their work and reported back to the Department. In December 2002, the then Minister of State, Mr. Tom Kitt, set up a Task Force on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to provide advice regarding how best to integrate ICT across the Irish Aid programme. The Task Force comprised twenty representatives from the private sector, academia, development NGOs, Enterprise Ireland and the Departments of the Taoiseach, Communications and Foreign Affairs. Mr. Aidan Eames was appointed as its chair. The Task Force met seven times and had additional meetings with representatives of the private sector, NGOs and Civil Society. Members of the Task Force undertook familiarisation visits to Uganda and Tanzania and to the World Bank in Washington. The Task Force presented its report in December 2003. A number of ICT activities are now being funded by Irish Aid, and ICT and development will also be reflected in the forthcoming White Paper on development cooperation.

The Task Force on Policy regarding Emigrants was established by my predecessor in December 2001 to recommend a coherent long-term policy approach to meeting the needs of Irish emigrants. Its terms of reference required that special consideration be given to pre-departure services, services for emigrants abroad and services for emigrants considering returning to Ireland. Particular emphasis was placed on addressing the needs of vulnerable emigrants. The Task Force operated from December 2001 until it presented its Report — 'Ireland and the Irish Abroad' — to my predecessor in August 2002. Since then, significant progress has been made on initiatives which benefit our Irish community abroad. The following twelve people gave of their time and expertise as members of the Task Force (with their titles reflecting the positions they held during the period of operation of the Task Force):

Paddy O'Hanlon Chairman

David Begg General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Rev. Paul Byrne, O.M.I. Director, Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants

Mahon Hayes Former Ambassador and Legal Adviser, Department of Foreign Affairs

Joe Harrington Department of the Environment and Local Government

Professor Mary Hickman Professor of Irish Studies & Sociology, University of North London

Gerry Mangan Department of Social and Family Affairs

Máire McCluskey Chairperson, Díon Committee, Embassy of Ireland, London and Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Joe McDonagh Chief Executive Officer, Foras na Gaeilge

Monsignor James Murray Project Irish Outreach, New York

The alternate members were Adrian Flannelly of the Emerald Isle Immigration Centre, New York and Seán Hutton, Community Care Co-ordinator, Federation of Irish Societies in Britain.