Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the review processes that have taken place or he has requested to be undertaken in respect of the budgeting, financial and reporting systems within his Department and agencies; the costs incurred to date; the expected total costs; the deadlines that have been imposed for such reviews; if he will make the reports' findings public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3021/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2008, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance announced that the Government agreed to an efficiency review of all administrative spending across the public service.

As part of this process all Government Departments are required to examine their administrative spending and to provide specific proposals for administrative savings to the Department of Finance, by 1 March 2008. These proposals will be reviewed by the Department of Finance. It is also envisaged that each Secretary General will be required to advise the relevant Oireachtas Committee of the savings.

This process is now underway within my Department. The question of the publication of the outcome of the Review exercise will be considered by the Government in due course.

I would also like to draw the Deputy's attention to a further review process which is underway in my Department. The 2006 White Paper on Irish Aid proposed a management review of Ireland's official development assistance programme to ensure that its systems, structures, procedures and staffing can continue to deliver a high quality aid programme as funding expands towards reaching the UN target of 0.7% of GNP by 2012.

The review commenced in the Spring of 2007 and is overseen by a Steering Committee comprised of high level officials from both the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Finance. Following a tender process, FGS Consulting were appointed to provide the professional expertise and support to the Steering Committee at a cost of €230,000.

It is expected that the report and recommendations will be finalised and submitted to the Secretaries General and Ministers in the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Finance in March 2008 and that this will, in turn, lead to proposals being put before Government.

It is expected that the findings of the Irish Aid review will, in due course, be made public.