Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 278: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the expenditure by his Department on consultants to date in 2008; and if he will compare this to the expenditure on consultants for each of the past five years. [19501/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 table details of expenditure under sub-head A7 (Consultancy) under both Votes since 1 January 2008, and for each of the previous 5 years.

I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on such expenditure. The Department commissions consultancy 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.