Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 May 1984

Vol. 350 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Córas Tráchtála Facilities.

9.

Mr. De Rossa

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that five employees of the Foreign Service Institute of the Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs are at present in Ireland attending a course run by Córas Tráchtála; if he considers it appropriate that such facilities should be extended to representatives of the Filipino Government considering the circumstances of the arrest and detention of Fr. Niall O'Brien and his colleagues and particularly in view of the statement made by the Minister in the Dáil on February 2; and if the Government will now instruct Córas Tráchtála to withdraw facilities from the Filipino representatives and take steps to ensure that no representatives of the Government of the Philippines are invited on similar courses in the future.

10.

Mr. De Rossa

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Córas Tráchtála aid to the Association of South-East Asian Nations countries is considered part of Ireland's overseas aid programme.

Mr. P. Barry

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.

I am aware that five employees of the Foreign Service Institute of the Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs were in Ireland attending a course run by Córas Tráchtála; in fact, they and the other participants on the course left Ireland on Saturday, 25 February en route to Cologne where the course concluded on 1 March 1984.

This course, entitled "Trainers' Training Programme for ASEAN", was organised by the European Commission as part of the European Community's programme of assistance to the ASEAN countries. The first part of the programme was run by Córas Tráchtala here in Ireland and the second part, as I have already said, took place in Cologne, at the Carl Duisberg Foundation. The participants on the programme were public servants who are responsible for training personnel in the field of export promotion. All of the participants, who came from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, in addition to the Philippines, were selected by their respective Governments All of the costs of the programme were paid by the European Commission. No Irish Government bilateral aid funds were involved in the running of this course in any way in the selection of the participants.

I have made clear on many occasions that, since the arrest and detention of Fr. O'Brien and his colleagues, the uppermost consideration in the Government's mind in all their actions vis-á-vis the Philippines Government has been, and will continue to be, the safety and well-being of Fr. O'Brien. It would hardly have been helpful to Fr. O'Brien's situation to refuse entry to the Phillippines representatives attending this course. The Government are also conscious of the fact that there is a large number of other Irish missionaries in the Philippines and that any action by us in Fr. O'Brien's case must take into account the necessity to ensure that their situation is not adversely affected.

Mr. De Rossa

I welcome the Minister's statement on this matter. I recognise the delicate situation which exists and the need for discretion and caution. However, the fact that the people involved in the course were employees of the Philippines state authorities puts a different complexion on the matter as against their being employees of private concerns.

An Ceann Comhairle

A question, please, Deputy.

Mr. De Rossa

Has the Minister issued any instructions to CTT requesting that body to avoid having employees of the Philippine state on courses in future?

Mr. P. Barry

No, I have not and I am not sure that it would be in any way helpful to the ordinary people of the Philippines to do so. I recognise that it is a country which is always in a position to receive aid and help. I tend to the view that the thinking behind the European Commission in this case in the organisation of such courses is to improve the export facilities in the Philippines which in turn it is hoped would improve the economy of the Philippines. All the people of the Philippines would thereby benefit. To cut off aid of that kind to a Government of some of whose actions we do not approve might have the opposite effect from that which we would want to achieve. I know that there are people who have a different view from that, but that is my view.

Mr. De Rossa

Unfortunately the evidence is that improvements in the Philippine economy do not benefit the ordinary people in the Philippines. I ask the Minister to reconsider his decision in relation to assisting the Government of the Phillippines by providing CTT facilities for them. Apart from the Fr. Niall O'Brien situation, there is the wider political question.

An Ceann Comhairle

We cannot have an exchange of views on Question Time and that is what we are tending to do.

Mr. De Rossa

There is also the pressure being put on the various political parties.

Mr. P. Barry

The Deputy and I do not agree on this. There may be some truth in what the Deputy says concerning the improvement in the economy not helping the ordinary people of the Phillipines, but the corollary of that is a disimprovement in the economy would certainly be paid for by the very lowest level of society in the Philippines and not by those who are in charge at present, or the wealthy members of the community. For that reason if the removal of the aid would disimprove the economy, the people at whom Deputy De Rossa is trying to get would not be those who would suffer, but the ordinary people of the Philippines.

Mr. G. Collins

Would the Minister say if the first secretary from the Irish Embassy in Canberra is still in the Philippines and is monitoring the situation there?

Mr. P. Barry

He is.

An Ceann Comhairle

It hardly arises out of the question.