Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number and identity of persons, groups, bodies or agencies other than the established civil servants from whom he or Ministers of State in his Department have sought or received advice in connection with policy or administrative matters appertaining to the operation of his Department or other bodies under his aegis in the past 12 months; the extent to which such advice related to capital expenditure projects; the cost of such advice; the extent to which it has been implemented to date or if it is intended to be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35971/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes — Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). I have set out in the tables below details of external advisory services engaged in connection with policy and administrative matters relating to the operation of the Department under both Votes and the amounts paid on such services since 1 January 2007.

I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on such expenditure. The Department commissions external advisory services only where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department and, particularly in the case of Irish Aid (Ireland's official development assistance programme), where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. Given the overall scale of the Irish Aid Programme, I am satisfied that this level of monitoring, review and evaluation is both prudent and proportionate.

With regard to bodies under the aegis of my Department, only the Irish Aid Advisory Board commissioned external consultancies in 2007 and the relevant figures are included in a separate table.

In addition to the foregoing, the Department, the Minister of State for Overseas Development and I had access to advice on policy and administrative matters relating to the operation of the Department from the following sources during 2007:

The Advisory Board for Irish Aid provides general oversight and advice on the strategic direction of the Government's programme of assistance to developing countries;

The Development Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) provides advice on policy regarding development education;

The Díon Advisory Committee advises and makes recommendations on Emigrant Services funding to voluntary organisations that work with vulnerable Irish people resident in Britain;

The Hunger Task Force was established in September 2007, in line with the recommendation of the White Paper on Irish Aid, to identify the contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce hunger. The Task Force will present a final report to the Minister of State with responsibility for Overseas Development.

The administration of the foregoing bodies is met from the Department's budget.

During 2007, I also received a report from the former Minister of State, Mr. Chris Flood, on a study carried out in relation to Irish people serving prison sentences overseas. This report was provided at no cost to the Department, apart from the travel costs associated with the study.

The capital expenditure projects undertaken by the Department mainly concern the acquisition and maintenance of Mission properties abroad. The Department may from time to time seek advice from the Office of Public Works in relation to such property matters.

I regret that it is not possible for me to give the Deputy an item-by-item breakdown of the advice received and the status of implementation in each case. However, I can confirm that all advice received is carefully considered and that all recommendations that enhance policy and administration will be implemented where practicable and where budgetary considerations permit.