Madam, - Paul Cullen's report on the audit of overseas aid raises two issues of fundamental public importance (The Irish Times, December 19th). The first relates to how effectively Irish taxpayers' money is being spent in the aid programme.
The second relates to the impact of the Government's decentralisation policy.
The current aid programme is recognised, nationally and internationally, as being of high quality. Over the next five years resources for aid will increase substantially as the Government moves to reach the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP. The public needs to have confidence that money for aid is being used effectively to respond to emergencies, reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.
If, as the audit report suggests, there are "insufficient checks against fraud and major staff shortages in the evaluation and auditing of aid programmes", such confidence will be undermined. It is incumbent on the Government to put the necessary staff and robust control systems in place.
From Concern's perspective, we would be worried if the reference in the audit report to deficiencies in accounting procedures and internal controls in some of the agencies partnering Irish Aid could be interpreted as a general comment on aid agencies. We know our internal systems and accounting systems are robust and we have regularly won the award for the most transparent accounts for not-for-profit organisations in the annual competition organised by the Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants. We would expect Irish Aid to apply the highest audit and value for money standards to any of its partners, whether aid agencies, UN bodies or governments.
The second issue raised by the audit report is the effect of the decentralisation of Irish Aid to Limerick. Extra costs, loss of experienced staff and a reduction of coherence between the aid programme and foreign policy are identified as potentially significant problems. It will be a major challenge for the aid programme to sustain its quality and impact while expanding rapidly.
Similar issues apply to other parts of the civil and public service which are being decentralised. Decentralisation undoubtedly benefits individuals and towns and cities around Ireland. But the potential costs - loss of experienced staff and corporate memory, increased travel and liaison costs, a reduced "whole of Government" approach to public policy, the negative effect on public sector morale - need to be independently assessed. A rigorous risk analysis, which has clearly not been applied to the decision to move Irish Aid to Limerick, needs to be applied to the whole decentralisation project.
Since becoming chief executive of Concern five years ago, I have scrupulously avoided any comment on aid policy or wider national policy which could be interpreted as being party political. Nor would I wish these comments on decentralisation to be construed in this way. But how decentralisation will affect the long-term capacity of the public sector to formulate policy and deliver services is an issue of strategic national importance which transcends party politics. - Yours, etc,
TOM ARNOLD,
Chief Executive,
Concern,
Dublin 2.