Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details regarding a proposed booklet on Irish aid, for which advertisements for the tendering process were published recently; the proposed contents of such a leaflet; when it is proposed that it would be distributed; the number of copies to be produced; the way the production and distribution, of such a leaflet is to be funded; if the moneys for such will come out of the Irish aid budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39548/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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As announced during the recent debate on the White Paper on Irish Aid in the Dáil on 2 November 2006, the Department of Foreign Affairs will distribute a booklet on the aid programme to each household in the country in January 2007. The contents of the booklet will include a short overview of the White Paper on Irish Aid, information on the priority areas of work for Irish Aid and details of volunteering opportunities for Irish people. This mail-out is taking place in the context of the need to strengthen public awareness of the aid programme as outlined in the White Paper and in the debates in the Dáil and Seanad. Throughout the extensive consultation process preceding publication of the White Paper, this emerged as a key concern for Irish people. Ensuring public awareness of the aims and activities of the aid programme will be all the more important as the level of resources committed to overseas development increases.

The Government Supplies Agency in the OPW are currently tendering for the printing of the booklet as per public procurement guidelines. Following completion of the tender process, the booklet will be printed and distributed to approximately 1.6 million addresses by An Post over a two-week period beginning in the last week of January 2007.

The booklet will be funded from the Information and Communication budget within Irish Aid and the total cost of design, printing and distribution is estimated to be €310,000. The Information and Communication budget for 2006 represented 0.2% of the total ODA budget and it will remain the same for 2007.