asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if any Government assistance has been provided for the Lesotho high dam project; the extent to which any European Community institutions are either involved in the project or have provided any assistance and whether any State-sponsored body has entered into any consultancy contract or has been or is at present involved with the project.
Written Answers. - Lesotho Project.
43.
My Department have not provided assistance to the highland water project in Lesotho and there are at present no plans to do so. This project is receiving assistance from the European Community in the context of the indicative programmes agreed between the Government of Lesotho and the Commission of the European Communities.
Agreement has been reached by the European Commission and the Government of Lesotho to provide assistance from the European Development Fund by way of 7.258 million ECU in the form of a grant and a special loan of 9.5 million ECU. Agreement has also been reached between the parties on the provision of a further 3.5 million ECU in the form of risk capital managed by the European Investment Bank.
No semi-State body under my control has been involved in this project, but I understand that a European Development Fund contract for a feasability study relating to this project was awarded to the Electricity Supply Board working in association with a consortium of European consultants.