Ciarán Cuffe
Question:300 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total cost of projects announced or promised by Ministers of the last Government between 1 January 2002 and 17 May 2002. [15299/03]
Written Answers. - Departmental Expenditure.
At the conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan, which took place in Tokyo in January 2002, I announced Ireland's pledge of €12 million over three years towards the reconstruction effort.
In addition, during the period in question, five funding packages providing for emergency humanitarian assistance and post-emergency recovery assistance, were announced by the Minister of State with responsibility for development co-operation and human rights. The funding packages, which amounted to €13.4 million, were announced in response to humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Burundi, Central Asia, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Timor, El Salvador, Eritrea, India, Malawi, Pakistan, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Somalia and the Thai-Burmese border, in addition to regional emergency responses in Central and South America.
The funding was provided to a range of Irish and international humanitarian non-governmental organisations including Christian Aid, Concern, GOAL, Handicap International, Oxfam, Trocaire and World Vision. Support was also provided to international agencies such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the Red Cross family.
Other announcements made by the then Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, in relation to the Government's overseas development programme included: 18 January 2002 – a contribution in 2002 of €10 million to the new global fund on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. An increase in Irelands contribution to UNAIDS, from €0.65 million in 2001 to €2.95 million in 2002 was also announced.
On 13 March 2002, €1.03 million for a range of projects under the human rights and democratisation scheme. On 24 April 2002 I announced allocation of grants for the period in question totalling €1,431,250 from the Department of Foreign Affairs reconciliation fund to 38 organisations involved in a range of cross-community and cross-Border outreach and reconciliation programmes. Details of each grant are available on the Departments website, www.irlgov.ie/iveagh/.