Vol. 491 No. 5
36 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of countries in receipt of aid under the bilateral aid programme; if it is intended to extend this programme to take account of countries suffering from famine or political unrest; if he has satisfied himself that the aid in these instances is going to the proper sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12505/98]
In 1996 a total of 77 countries received aid under the bilateral aid programme, which includes the emergency humanitarian assistance fund, operated by the development co-operation division. Details are provided in the Irish Aid Annual Report on Ireland's Official Development Assistance for 1996. A similar number of countries received aid in 1997. details of which will be provided in the 1997 Irish Aid Annual Report, which we hope will be published next month.
The Irish aid programme has six priority country programmes within its bilateral aid programme — Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. In addition, there are programmes of assistance in other countries including South Africa, the Occupied Territories. Zimbabwe, Sudan, Eritrea and Bangladesh.
Through schemes such as the NGO co-financing scheme, the human rights and democratisation programme and the fellowship programme, we are able to extend our reach to countries in South America and Asia as well as to other parts of Africa, in particular. West Africa.
The emergency humanitarian assistance fund provides aid to alleviate the immediate effects of natural disasters, famine, drought or conflict related emergencies. The funds are channelled through the Irish non-governmental organisations as well as through the international agencies. Countries which received assistance in 1997 included Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia. Afghanistan and North Korea. In addition rehabilitation assistance is provided to countries in post-conflict situations. The majority of this budget in 1997 was allocated to rehabilitation and construction efforts in Rwanda and Bosnia and Herzegovinia. Funding was also provided to Angola and Somalia.
It is an issue of great importance that spending on the bilateral programme and on emergency and rehabilitation assistance is properly utilised. The Irish Aid Programme is reviewed regularly by sectoral experts from within the development co-operation division. by external consultants and by the development assistance committee of the OECD. Agencies in receipt of monies from the bilateral aid programme including the emergency assistance fund and the NGO scheme are required to produce reports on how the monies are spent. In addition the division's two internal auditors undertake regular reviews and visits to our overseas offices.
I am satisfied that the Irish Aid Programme is producing good results and that the money spent reaches its targets and is used in the most effective way possible.
