Vol. 577 No. 1
130 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he has satisfied himself that aid under Ireland's bilateral aid programme is received by those for whom it is intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30662/03]
137 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has satisfied himself that international aid workers, including those from Ireland, receive adequate protection in the various locations in which they work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30669/03]
138 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he can ensure aid intended for deserving communities in Africa goes to its intended targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30670/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 137 and 138 together.
The central objectives of the Irish programme of development co-operation are the reduction of poverty and the promotion of sustainable development. This includes meeting the basic human needs of some of the world's poorest people by improving their access to food, water, health services, sanitation, education and employment.
The geographical focus of our bilateral programme is on a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world. Development Co-operation Ireland provides long-term development assistance to six programme countries – Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia – as well as South Africa. Timor Leste is our only programme country outside this poor region. In line with other donors, the Irish programme operates in partnership with the governments of these countries and agrees strategies with them to ensure that Irish interventions respond effectively to their development needs. One aim, among others, is to help build up the capacity of these governments to manage their own affairs, which in turn strengthens their sense of ownership of the whole development process.
A robust system for oversight and accountability is required in an environment of dire poverty and the corruption usually associated with it. Development Co-operation Ireland provides this through a rigorous system of evaluation, monitoring and audit in all our country programmes. All accounts and expenditure are audited. There is a strong, comprehensive monitoring process, involving close co-ordination with other donors, which acts as a quality control on the programme. The evaluation approach allows for a forensic examination of interventions to measure effectiveness and identify lessons learned. These systems are reviewed regularly and updated as necessary. The effect of all of these safeguards is that our bilateral aid reaches those for whom it is intended.
139 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he can influence the direction of international aid towards the most urgently in need African countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30671/03]
The Government's official programme of development assistance, Development Co-operation Ireland, focuses its aid on the poorest people in the poorest countries. The recent OECD development assistance committee's review of Ireland's aid programme commended the fact that Ireland gives a higher share of its ODA to least developed countries than any other donor.
At the international level, Ireland actively promotes a concentration of development aid on the poorest countries, almost all of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. At the United Nations, Ireland promotes an increase in the funding disbursed by the UN funds and programmes to the poorest countries. Through our membership of the executive boards of the UN development programme, UNDP, and UNICEF, we have actively argued the case that the resource allocation criteria, used by the funds and programmes to determine the level of their aid to countries in need, should explicitly favour the 49 least developed countries.
