Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2012
46 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps that are being taken to ensure that Irish aid to Malawi is effectively spent; if he has raised any concerns in the context of aid given to Malawi in respect of reported human rights abuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17456/12]
View answerMalawi is among the world's poorest countries, ranked 171 out of 187 on the 2011 UN Human Development Index. It has suffered two major famines in the last decade and over half of the population live below the national poverty line. More than 40% of children under five years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition and almost 12% of the population are living with HIV and AIDS. Malawi was designated the ninth Programme Country for Ireland's aid programme in 2006, and an Embassy was established in 2007, which manages the delivery of our programme of assistance. Funding for the programme amounted to just over €11 million in 2011. It is focused on increasing the supply of food, improving nutrition, strengthening agricultural research and smallholder farming and enhancing good governance, and is concentrated on the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in Malawi.
I visited Malawi last month in order to see the impact of our assistance on poor communities. Ireland's support is delivered through targeted programmes implemented by a variety of partners including Government institutions, NGOs and international organisations. I am satisfied that there is a high degree of accountability and that we are seeing clear results for the poorest and most vulnerable people. Irish Aid funding is protected by rigorous external and internal monitoring, accounting and audit controls, which are in place in all countries where we provide development assistance. These measures ensure that funding is directed effectively to those areas most in need and is used for the purposes intended.
I believe we can be satisfied that Ireland's assistance is making a strong contribution to the attainment of positive development results. During my visit, I saw that our support of the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Programme, for example, has provided subsidised seeds and fertiliser to 1.4 million poor farmers. This has resulted in the production of a significant national maize surplus in recent years and a dramatic reduction in the number of families who do not have enough food. I also saw how Irish Aid's partnership with the NGO, Concern Universal, has helped 135,000 people in two districts to access nutritious food, reduce malaria and improve access to anti-retroviral treatment for HIV infection. I was pleased to see that this effective programme is now being successfully rolled out across other districts.
Ireland's aid programme has been highly praised by international bodies such as the OECD for its effectiveness and its impact on the lives of the poorest communities. However, I was particularly impressed by the reactions I encountered among the people and the authorities I met with during my visit to Malawi. Their views on the effectiveness of our assistance and on the spirit of partnership with which it is being delivered left me with a strong appreciation of the importance of maintaining Ireland's programme of overseas aid, even in times of economic difficulty.
During my visit, I also discussed the human rights situation in Malawi with the Foreign Minister, other Government representatives and civil society groups. Our Embassy in Lilongwe monitors the situation in Malawi closely and maintains an open dialogue on human rights issues with Government and civil society, in cooperation with our EU partners. We have clear differences of view with the Government of Malawi on some issues, including the pressure which has been put on civil society organisations in the country in recent times. In my discussions with the Government, I emphasised our commitment to cooperating closely with Malawi but also emphasised our concern, and that of our EU partners, about human rights issues. We have told the Government frankly that they need to demonstrate clearly their respect for human rights and for the principles of democratic accountability.
