Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 October 2010
98 Deputy Tom Sheahan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of agencies, commissions, committees and boards under his Department; the role each of these play; the annual cost of each of these for the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36082/10]
View answerThere are currently five bodies which operate under the aegis of my Department: the Development Education Advisory Committee (DEAC); the Government Emigrant Services Advisory Committee (previously known as Díon); the Audit Committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs; Department of Foreign Affairs/NGO Standing Committee on Human Rights; and the Fulbright Commission (Board of the Ireland — United States Commission for Educational Exchange). A further two bodies — the Advisory Board of Irish Aid (ABIA) and the Hunger Task Force — also operated during the period in question. There are other committees led by my Department that do not have dedicated budgets. The Fulbright Commission, ABIA and the Hunger Task Force received funding from my Department during the period in question, as indicated in the table below. The remaining bodies are all committees, the administrations of which are serviced directly by my Department’s budget.
|
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
|
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
Fulbright Commission |
254,000 |
254,000 |
254,000 |
254,000 |
254,000 |
|
Advisory Board for Irish Aid (ABIA) |
1,062,884 |
1,152,868 |
738,047 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
e Hunger Task Force (grant) |
N/A |
25,987 |
257,669 |
18,334 |
N/A |
Acting on a recommendation contained in the Irish Aid Management Review adopted by the Government in 2009, an Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group (IAEAG) has now been established. The role of the Group is to offer independent expert advice to me and my colleague the Minister of State for Overseas Development on the strategic direction of the aid programme. The inaugural meeting of the Advisory Group will be held in November 2010. The administration costs associated with this Group will be serviced directly by my Department's budget.
The members of the Department's Audit Committee work on a voluntary basis and receive no remuneration, travel expenses or subsistence.
