Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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31. To ask the Taoiseach the amount paid by his Department in 2022 and to date in 2023 on outside or third-party reports of a technical nature or qualitative and quantitative nature, by payee, in tabular form. [34478/23]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The expenditure on external reports in 2022 and to date in 2023 is set out in the table below.

The Shared Island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach is progressing a wide-ranging research programme to examine the political, social, economic and cultural considerations of a shared future for all communities and traditions on the island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The purpose of the programme is to provide high-quality evidence and analysis on the opportunities, and the challenges, around deepening cooperation and connections on the island. The programme is providing both a stronger evidence-base along with a rigorous analysis to inform inclusive civic and political discussion on a shared future on the island of Ireland.

This research programme is progressed with partners including the National Economic and Social Council, the ESRI, the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS), and the Irish Research Council. The ESRI have published 8 reports to date under the Shared Island Research Programme. There have also been contributions to research projects with the Department of Transport and the Department of Defence with a focus on green hydrogen and research related to the work of the Office of Emergency Planning respectively.

Dissemination of the research outputs is essential, and the Shared Island unit works with the research bodies to support launch events and engagement with the reports in civil society, academia, media and briefings for political representatives and Departments, both North and South. Further information relating to the Shared Island research programme can be found at:www.gov.ie/sharedisland.

The ESRI also undertook the Covid-19 Social Activity Measure (SAM) to inform policy during Covid-19

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan T.D., convened a three-day Departmental conference, "Representing the Global Island", at Dublin Castle on 12-14 January 2015.

The Conference brought together more than 90 Irish Ambassadors, Consuls General and senior diplomats for meetings with individuals from across the Department, other Government Departments and the State Agencies, as well as from the private sector, third level institutions and the creative sectors.

During the Conference, the Taoiseach launched a review of Ireland’s foreign policy: "The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World".

The total cost of the Conference was €65,515 and further details are set out below:

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”.

Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other administrative expenses are also covered from this allocation in the Revised Estimates. The table below provides details in respect of Vote 28 for the years 2013-2022.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”.

Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other administrative expenses are also covered from this allocation in the Revised Estimates. The table below provides details in respect of Vote 27 for the years 2013-2022.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”.

Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other administrative expenses are also covered from this allocation in the Revised Estimates. The table below provides the estimated expenditure in respect of Vote 28 for 2023.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs, in common with other Government Departments, is allocated administrative funding each year for “training and development and incidental expenses”.

Funding for training and development includes foreign language support, course fees, professional memberships, conference and seminar fees and associated training costs. A variety of other administrative expenses are also covered from this allocation in the Revised Estimates. The table below provides the estimated expenditure in respect of Vote 27 for 2023.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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37. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount paid by his Department in 2022 and to date in 2023 on outside/third-party reports of a technical nature or qualitative and quantitative nature, by payee, in tabular form. [34470/23]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My Department commissions outside or third party reports where highly specialised skills are not available internally and in particular, where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is necessary.

External expertise has informed, and continues to inform, my Department's strategies and policies and the effective delivery of our services to our citizens in a transparent and accountable manner representing value for money.

Such external expertise may involve the provision of specialised reports, expert analysis or expert technical services to the Department.

Provided is a table of people or organisations who provided third party reports to the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2022 and 2023 (to Date) and the amount they were paid.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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With a growing focus on security and defence issues across Europe and at national level, as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence and with the support of the Government, I recently convened a national Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. The aim of the Forum was to provide an opportunity for a serious and honest conversation about the international security policy options available to the State, and the implications of each of these.

The Forum took place over four days in Cork, Galway and Dublin, and saw over 80 panellists moderating or speaking and approximately 1,000 attendees. Well over 600 submissions were received from the public and all discussions were live-streamed. These can also be watched back at www.gov.ie/ConsultativeForum.

Costs related to the Forum are being split on an equal basis between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence. Costs arising for the Department of Foreign Affairs are being met from existing resources in Vote 28 and are a charge on the Department’s allocation for “training and development and incidental expenses”.

The Department did not refer the organisation of the Consultative Forum to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform - which assumed responsibility in 2011 for functions previously assigned to the Department of Finance in the Public Financial Procedures - as it did not involve the provision of a new service.

I am fully satisfied that the ambit of Vote 28, as approved by Dáil Éireann, is sufficiently wide to cover the convening of a Forum of this kind, and that the organisation of a Forum of this kind is also consistent with the statutory functions allocated to the Department of Foreign Affairs.