Vol. 475 No. 4
81 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's response to recent reports that the police force has been accused of detaining, beating and killing street children in India; the action, if any, being taken internationally, particularly at EU and UN level, to protect Indian street children. [5070/97]
The Government has sought to ensure that Ireland plays a significant role in promoting the welfare of children worldwide, to focus on issues such as the condition of children in orphanages, and on child labour, land mines and child prostitution. The Government is very concerned about the reports which it has received through the Embassy of Ireland in New Delhi and the appropriate international for a, including the EU and UN, in relation to the problems faced by the street children in India, including the alleged use of violence against them by the Indian police.
Under the Government's Bilateral Aid Programme, the co-financing scheme with nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) provides grants for small to medium-sized projects in developing countries, which meet the basic needs of the poorest sections of the population. Irish NGOs have received substantial funding under this scheme for street children projects in many parts of the world including India. In recent years GOAL received grants in the amount of £207,420 towards its street children's programme in Calcutta. In 1995 a grant of £5,768 was awarded to a local NGO towards the provision of an ambulance for a mobile street children's medical rescue unit. Projects providing non-formal education and training in income-generating activities to street children have also been supported under the scheme. Both the EU and UN (UNICEF) are active in addressing the problems of street children in India and work with the Government of India and various NGOs on this issue. I understand that funding has been set aside this year by the EU for a project to assist street children in Bombay. The Embassy in New Delhi will continue to monitor closely the situation of street children in India.
