I refer to your reporter Martin Frawley's story (News, 13 September) in which he claims that the Department of Finance has queried Údarás na Gaeltachta's "value for money". Údarás na Gaeltachta has not been particularly singled out in this regard as this same question is being posed for every state agency in the country in the Bord Snip Nua report.

Mr Frawley adds statements regarding An tÚdarás that are contradictory, illogical and nonsensical in the context of information readily available to him and anyone who takes the time to check it. He states that the Údarás was "unable" to provide figures on the cost per job created. Yet, he later goes on to quote the grant cost per job from last year's annual report.

This grant cost per job is published every year in our annual report so it makes no sense, unless he feels he needs to add an element of conspiracy to his story, to say we were "unable" to provide that figure. He later goes on to refer to the "average cost of over €10,800 per job created by An tÚdarás last year – almost twice the €6,100 cost for the IDA" and again makes the nonsensical statement "that this was gleaned from the agency's published annual report and not from An tÚdarás". If he cares to call us we will explain to him the very different issues, many of which we think are self-evident, regarding attracting and maintaining industries to rural locations, where jobs are just as necessary as in other areas in the country, and how this impacts on the cost per job compared to urban locations.

Some facts: No direct discussions took place between the Department of Finance and Údarás na Gaeltachta at any time regarding any of these matters. As is normal we deal directly with our government department, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, about all matters relating to the governance and funding of our organisation. If Mr Frawley directs his questions at the relevant department I'm sure he'll receive the information he seeks – no FOI necessary.

This would also alert him to any misleading information such as details of staff employed, pay costs and total exchequer grants paid in the years 2003 to 2008, also "not available from Údarás". Mr Frawley can read the annual report where all of this information is published annually for public scrutiny and which is freely available online (www.udaras.ie). We are truly mystified as to why he tries to infer some conspiracy around what in our view is an open and transparent organisation. We are proud of what we do. All of our own staff levels and staff costs are agreed annually with our parent department with the approval of the Department of Finance for budgetary purposes.

As for the section of the FOI document left blank which Mr Frawley surmises raises questions about the future of the agency. There's a 20-year strategy for the Irish language currently being prepared (hence the blanks) which will map out the government's strategy for the Gaeltacht (including Údarás na Gaeltachta) over the next 20 years. Not as conspiratorial as Mr Frawley suggests but potentially far more important in the scheme of things.

Siubhán Nic Grianna,

Communications manager,

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Na Forbacha, Co na Gaillimhe.