asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department have taken note of the study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Secretariat, on the Co-operative Exchange of Skills among Developing Countries—Policies for Collective Self-Reliance in Skilled Manpower; and, in view of the findings of this study if he will consider undertaking an examination of the ways in which the Irish official development programme can be adapted to facilitate and encourage the employment of skilled personnel from “skill-rich” developing countries in “skill-poor” developing countries, for example, by broadening APSO's mandate to enable it to fund skilled personnel who are nationals of developing countries.
Written Answers. - Development Programme.
194.
My Department have taken note of the publication mentioned. This country's bilateral aid programme is primarily intended, however, to benefit developing countries in fields in which Ireland has a special interest or competence. Though I would not rule out an examination along the lines suggested by the Deputy, my present thinking is that initiatives in this area are, in principle, more appropriately funded from sources, such as multilateral aid programmes, other than Irish bilateral aid.