P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 257: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will list and number the pilot schemes or projects that are being funded, overseen, or in any way supported by his Department; the purpose of each project; the start up date of each project; the time-scale for each project; the projected completion date for each project; the date that a report evaluating the project will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22066/08]

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

There is only one 'pilot project' currently being undertaken within my Department. This involves redirecting telephone queries relating to visa applications to an outside operator. This project was initially undertaken in our Embassy in London in January 2007, and was extended to our Missions in the United States in July 2007. The purpose of the project is to offer a high-quality information service for customers with routine visa enquiries to some of our busiest Missions overseas. At the same time, it enables officers to focus even more on substantive issues such as vetting. This service is not funded by the Department; rather the cost of the telephone call pays for the service. An interim review of the project took place in December 2007. Given its ongoing nature, there is no formal completion date, but discussions are continuing with the provider as to the possible geographic expansion of the project in the future.

Under a number of its programmes, my Department provides funding to organisations for a variety of projects, some of which are 'pilot' in nature. These include:

Communicating Europe Initiative

In April 2008, under the Communicating Europe Initiative, my Department allocated €27,000 to the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce. The Environment Education Unit (EEU) was set up in 1993 to deliver, sustain and develop programmes such as the nationwide Green Schools Programme. The allocation made by my Department to An Taisce was specifically to develop a pilot "European & Global Citizenship" module as a theme within the Green Schools Programme. It is intended that the pilot module will be rolled out in a small number of schools, in the academic year 2008-09 and will be appropriately evaluated.

Reconciliation Fund

Under its Reconciliation Fund, the Department of Foreign Affairs assists community groups and organisations involved in reconciliation and outreach projects, between North and South, and between Ireland and Britain. The total number of projects approved for assistance in 2007 was 103.

A number of the projects funded by the Reconciliation Fund would be in the nature of pilot schemes, though not necessarily described as such.

Irish Aid

Through Irish Aid, the Government's Development Aid programme, my Department provides funding to hundreds of projects, some of which would be in the nature of pilot schemes though not necessarily described as such. Some specific examples of pilot funding include support for a pilot tourism project in Limpopo, South Africa and the establishment of Traidlinks, which followed from an earlier pilot initiative. Traidlinks is an independent, not for profit, NGO focussed on harnessing the expertise of the Irish business sector to support the development of the private sector in Africa.

Irish Aid operates a comprehensive evaluation and audit role in regard to all of these projects.