Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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183. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide in tabular form the total amount spent since February 2011 on external reports commissioned by his Department including payments from Ministerial allowances, broken down by report; if he will provide the details of any consultants employed; the names of each report and their status as published or ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2362/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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My Department is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Vote 27 (International Cooperation).

The Department commissions external expertise where highly specialised skills are not available within the Department and particularly where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. During the course of their engagements, these consultants/experts may prepare reports and other documentation for the Department. In-depth analysis of issues by external experts has informed - and continues to inform - my Department’s policies, allowing for more targeted use of resources and greater accountability in the allocation of budgets.

The following tables set out the details of external reports commissioned under Vote 28 and Vote 27 since February 2011. The reports in question were funded from the Department’s Votes and none was paid for from Ministerial allowances.

External Reports commissioned under Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs and Trade)

External Reports commissioned under Vote 27 (International Cooperation)

*Reports commissioned by the Department in relation to Irish Aid matters are generally for internal management usage and not for publication. However, many are published on the Irishaid.ie website or, in appropriate cases, can be made available on request.