Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish Aid staff based in its Limerick office; the number of staff moved from Irish Aid to other areas due to their unwillingness to decentralise with Irish Aid to Limerick; the scale of expertise in aid policy possessed by the replacement staff; the cost, both capital and current, of the Irish Aid decentralisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31770/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Government's decentralisation programme announced in 2003 the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs has decentralised to Limerick. This Division operates externally under the name of Irish Aid. The Headquarters of Irish Aid is situated in the Department's Limerick building.

120 staff are currently based in the new Headquarters building in Limerick.

Of the 108 staff assigned to Irish Aid at the time decentralisation was announced, 17.5%, or 19 officials, were transferred to other areas of the Department as they did not wish to decentralise. It is in the nature of the work of the Department that staff transfer between Divisions at HQ, and indeed to Embassies abroad, on a regular basis. This routine rotation accounts for the balance of the staff transfers from Irish Aid.

Following intensive discussions between the Departments of Finance and Foreign Affairs and the trade union IMPACT, an agreement was reached which resulted in a substantial number of experienced development specialists transferring to Limerick alongside their other Departmental colleagues. There was, therefore, minimal loss of aid policy expertise.

Decentralisation was completed while the OECD was carrying out a major review of Ireland's development cooperation policies and programmes. The report of the OECD peer review was published in April 2009. It represents the most authoritative and impartial international assessment which an aid programme can receive.

The OECD reported that "Irish Aid is a strong, cutting edge, development cooperation programme, fully integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs". It stated that "Ireland is a champion in making aid more effective". The report of the peer review is a thorough and detailed document, providing a very positive assessment of the impact, effectiveness and focus of the aid programme.

In arriving at its assessment of the programme, the OECD directly addressed the issue of decentralisation. It stated that "the move of the headquarters from the capital poses challenges". The OECD concluded that "the management of the Department of Foreign Affairs, including the Development Cooperation Division (Irish Aid) has worked hard to meet the challenges linked to the relocation. Overall, the full integration of the development programme into the mainstream of DFA is positive."

The principal cost associated with decentralisation is that of accommodation. This is a matter for the Office of Public Works. In addition to such property costs, and excluding staff costs, the Department of Foreign Affairs spent €855,146 in the period from January 2004 to date on the completion of the decentralisation project. The largest elements in these costs related to the purchase of ICT equipment and office machinery, as well as additional telecommunications costs for the interim premises and new permanent Headquarters.

In addition to the costs associated with the implementation of decentralisation, there are ongoing travel and subsistence costs associated with travel on business by officials between Limerick and Dublin. Since the beginning of the decentralisation programme, these have amounted to a total of €416,024.