Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1977 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1974

APPENDIX 8.

INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION—BILATERAL AID

An Cléireach,

An Coiste un Chuntais Phoibli.

In the course of my examination by the Committee on 2 December 1976 I undertook to furnish further information on payments made for bilateral aid from the Vote for International Co-operation in 1973-74 and in the 9-month period ended 31 December 1974. The position is as follows:

The first payment by way of bilateral aid from the Vote for International Co-operation was made following the passing of a Supplementary Estimate in the amount of £240,000 by the Dáil on 28 March 1974. This sum was immediately disbursed in grant form and was entirely spent by the end of the financial year on 31st March 1974. Details of the three grants comprising the £240,000 are given in paragraph 431 of the Report of the Committee of Public Accounts relating to the Appropriation Accounts 1973-74. Paragraphs 432 and 433 of that Report are also relevant.

The expenditure of £34,474 in 1974 was for the following three projects:

(a) Training projects at the Institute of Public Administration. In all, 22 students from developing countries attended courses in training techniques, hospital administration and public administration organised by the Institute of Public Administration. The total expenditure incurred on these projects in 1974 was £24,600.

(b) Eight students participated in a training course organised by the Shannon Free Airport Development Company on the establishment and management of export free zones. The cost of this course was £9,154.

(c) A payment of £720 was made to enable a member of the Medical Research Council of Ireland to visit India and the Phillipines to advise on the manufacture of anti-leprosy drugs.

With regard to the saving of £115,526 effected on the Subhead in 1974 I should like to confirm, and also expand, the explanation I gave for this in the course of my examination, namely that because the bilateral aid programme had only begun in 1974 it was inevitable that a certain time should elapse while worthwhile projects were identified, planned and implemented. It was not intended that bilateral aid should continue to be in grant form as was the case in the previous year but rather should be spent on programmes comprehensively and coherently developed. Because of this, and also because of the necessity to exercise financial restraint in the financial period April-December 1974 it was decided to postpone some bilateral aid projects and to halt consideration of others.

Accounting Officer,

Department of Foreign Affairs.

13 Nollaig 1976.