Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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245. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the public contracts between his Department and companies (details supplied) in each of the years 2011 to 2016; the value of each contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50402/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The 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 in particular where ongoing independent evaluation and audit of programmes and projects is required. Professional services provided by external experts has informed, and continues to inform on the Department’s policies, allowing for a more targeted use of resources and greater accountability in the allocation of budgets. ese services are procured by competitive tendering systems in accordance with procurement rules and comply with the overall value for money objective of the Department. The companies referenced in the question were engaged directly by our Missions abroad and provided professional services to the overseas development programme.