Pat Upton
Ceist:88 Dr. Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the reports from outside agencies which were commissioned by his Department for each of the years since 1990; and the cost of production of each report. [8623/95]
Written Answers. - Commissioned Reports.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has commissioned and published two studies in the area of cross-border economic co-operation. The "North West Study" dealing with the economic development of the Donegal-Derry-Strabane region was published in April 1990. The cost of the study was shared equally between the Irish and British Governments; the Irish Government's share was £69,614 of which 75 per cent was refunded by the European Regional Development Fund.
A second study, "Ireland in Europe: A Shared Challenge", dealing with economic co-operation on the island of Ireland was published in June 1992. The total cost involved, including production and printing costs and fees to consultants commissioned to write individual sectoral chapters, amounted to £58,317.
More recently, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs has commissioned the Irish Aid Advisory Commitee to carry out a study on "The impact of Ireland's Official Development Assistance on the Irish Economy". This report was presented for discussion in Trinity College on 11 May 1995. The costs of the study have not yet been finalised.
The Irish Aid Advisory Committee has also been commissioned to carry out a study on "Ireland and the United Nations" which is expected to be finalised by June of this year. The cost of this report is not yet known.
In the course of the normal activities of the Irish aid programme, reports for the purposes of appraising and monitoring individual aid projects are undertaken by consultants on an ongoing basis. These reports are for internal use only and the costs are absorbed within the budget for each individual project. Details of these reports are available in Annex 16 of the Irish Aid Programme annual reports, copies of which are available from the Dáil Library.
Since its establishment in January 1993, the Office of the Tánaiste has not commissioned any reports from outside agencies. The office is currently in the process of commissioning a report for the Task Force on Long-term Unemployment on employment options for the long term unemployed. Final details in this regard are not yet concluded.