Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 369: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of external consultants currently working for or in his Department; the work they are carrying out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6202/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs), and Vote 29 (International Cooperation) under which most of Ireland's expenditure on Official Development Assistance (ODA) is provided, and which is administered by Irish Aid, the Development Co-operation Division of my Department. In the case of Vote 28, there are currently three (3) external consultants who provide the following services:

Bianconi Research Limited (trading as RITS) provides the Department with high-level expert advice on ICT and communications security which is critical to maintaining the security and integrity of the Department's ICT and communications infrastructure.

Long Road Productions Limited provides the services of a cultural coordinator who advises and assists the Department in planning and organising cultural events linked to State and Official visits abroad.

Professor Richard Sinnott is carrying out an analysis of survey data on opinions and attitudes to the European Union.

In the case of Vote 29, at present there are thirty eight (38) consultants under contract to Irish Aid. These provide independent appraisal, audit, monitoring and evaluation of Irish Aid's programmes and projects which involve a wide range of areas and activities. Some of them also provide highly specialised knowledge and advice on matters such as HIV/AIDS, tropical agriculture and climate and other sectors relevant to development cooperation with a focus on African experience.

I am very conscious of the need to achieve value for money on consultancy expenditure. The Department commissions consultancies only where specialised knowledge and/or skills are not available within the Department and, particularly in the case of Irish Aid where an independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. Given the overall scale of the Irish Aid Programme, this level of monitoring, review and evaluation is both prudent and proportionate.