Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of staff employed in the central evaluation expenditure unit; if there are plans to increase the number of staff in the unit over the period of the National Development Plan 2007 to 2113; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3870/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently five civil servants (including support staff) employed in the Unit. Two more expenditure evaluators are expected to join the Unit in the near future following a recent open recruitment process. In addition, my Department currently has four participants in the Masters Programme in Policy Analysis delivered by the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in association with the Faculty of Commerce, UCD. Upon completion of the programme, they will be assigned as expenditure evaluators to the Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit, two in mid-2007 and two in mid-2008. The number of staff in the unit over the period of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 will be kept under review to ensure that the unit is adequately resourced to fulfil its duties and functions.