Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
253 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his recent meeting with the Minister for Finance of Lesotho; the plans for further aid to the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28746/04]
View answerLesotho is the longest established of Development Co-operation Ireland's bilateral country programmes. As in other countries where Ireland operates a bilateral programme, the primary focus of our development efforts in Lesotho is on improving services which directly benefit the poor — basic education, primary health care, HIV/AIDS, rural access, rural water and sanitation. We are also engaged in strengthening the quality of governance in Lesotho and in supporting the public sector reform programme. A recent external evaluation of the country programme highlighted the positive impact that support from Development Co-operation Ireland has had in Lesotho.
Development Co-operation Ireland works in close partnership with government ministries and civil society organisations in the implementation of the Lesotho country programme. The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning is a key partner ministry. The Minister for Finance and Development Planning, Dr. Tim Thahane, visited Ireland on 7 to 9 October 2004. My meeting with him on 7 October provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on a range of issues central to our development partnership. In particular, we discussed our future support for Lesotho's reform and modernisation programme and considered how best Ireland can help the government to lead a comprehensive response to the HIV/AIDS crisis which is causing such suffering in Lesotho.
Dr. Thahane used his visit to explore Ireland's recent economic success and examine the possible lessons for a small country like Lesotho seeking to make itself more attractive to international business as a target for foreign direct investment. Meetings were held with the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, IBEC and the International Financial Services Centre. The Minister, Dr. Thahane, also met the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts and discussed the potential for closer contact between it and its counterpart in Lesotho. The visit enhanced the good relations which exist between our two countries and built on the successful visit to Lesotho by a delegation from the Oireachtas at the end of last year.
