Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 31 Oct 1990

Vol. 402 No. 3

Written Answers. - Bilateral Aid Programme.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

23 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recommendations made by the Advisory Council on Development Co-operation in its report Irish Bilateral Aid - The Evaluation Process September 1988; if he will outline the action he has taken to implement its recommendations; if he proposes to make a statement of policy in regard to the Irish aid programme recommended in the report which has been carried out by the other member states who are part of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Collins)

I am aware of the report and its conclusions which were presented in 1988 and have been considered by me and by my Department with a view to adopting whatever recommendations were deemed appropriate for application in our bilateral aid programme.

The recommendations in the report were quite numerous, almost 30 in number, and many did not confine themselves to the question of the evaluation process but ranged over wider issues such as general policy, staffing and organisational structures and social and cultural aspects of aid programmes.

As to the recommendation for a detailed policy statement to which the Deputy refers I would point out that statements on our aid policy have been made both inside and outside this House. In summary our objective is to contribute through our bilateral official aid programme to the Third World and to concentrate on helping the poorer countries of sub-Saharan Africa to combat the causes of poverty and distress among their people. We have identified four priority countries — Lesotho, Sudan, Zambia and Tanzania — with a view to assisting the Governments of these countries in their efforts to achieve self-sustaining economic and social progress.

As regards the members of the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD many have issued detailed policy statements on their aid programmes; however such programmes are in general very much larger than our bilateral aid programme. As regards the recommendations on the evaluation process steps have been taken to strengthen the technical capacity involved in managing the programme and also the selection, evaluation monitoring procedures used. I might add that several measures were already in place before the report issued. I can assure the Deputy that continuous assessment of how we implement our programme is a normal element of the work of the Development Aid Division of my Department.