Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department paid a person (details supplied); if any other such payments were made to persons since 2002, or are currently being made; if so, the person to whom they were or are being made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16639/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland funded the position of Deputy to the EU Special Representative in Afghanistan from November 2005 to February 2008. This was done through payments to the budget of the Special Representative's office.

Funding covered salary and allowance costs, which included elements relating to accommodation and children's allowances, as well as covering some home travel. The individual in question was directly employed by the Special Representative's office.

Funding was provided from subhead J of vote 28 (expenditure in support of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy), in the first year, and thereafter from the Stability Fund of Irish Aid. Since March of this year, costs relating to the individual in question are now directly borne by the office of the Special Representative.

The mandate of the Special Representative is to pursue a just and durable peace in Afghanistan and his role includes contributing to political stabilisation (including liaison and support for civil society groups in Afghanistan), practical promotion of human rights, and assistance with transitional justice schemes and post-conflict reconciliation.

Irish funding was provided at the direct request of EU Special Representative Francesc Vendrell. The decision related to a wish to support the significant work of the EU Special Representative in Afghanistan, to support an Irish national in a senior position, the individual's extensive relevant experience, and on the basis of the position's political, developmental, rule of law and human rights dimensions. I would note that the costs of the Special Representative's other professional support staff have been covered by the Member States from which the individuals come (Netherlands, UK and Finland). No other position of the above kind is currently being funded by the Department.