Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 December 2013
44. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if data is available on the costs of hosting students from developing countries in Ireland for 2013 and for subsequent years until 2015; if so, what the figures are in absolute numbers; and how much of this is included in the amount reported as overseas development assistance expenditure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54600/13]
View answerIreland provides support to post-graduate students from developing countries through a number of initiatives under the Government’s development cooperation programme, which is managed by Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The primary initiative is the Fellowship Training Programme, the objective of which is to strengthen the capacity of partner organisations benefiting from Ireland’s support in our key partner countries. Fellowships are targeted at mid-career professionals who, on completion of the Programme, have committed to putting their acquired skills into practice for the benefit of the partner organisation and the wider community. Fellowship awards are also aligned to priorities and thematic areas identified in Ireland’s country strategy programmes in our key partner countries.
The fellowships are awarded annually to successful candidates from key partner countries (Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia), as well as Palestine, Timor Leste and Burundi for study in Ireland or within their own country or region. From 2014, applications for Fellowships will also be accepted from candidates in Sierra Leone.
Separately, Irish Aid fellowships have been awarded to successful post-graduate applicants from Vietnam under the Irish Development Experience Sharing Programme (IDEAS) and from South Africa under the Kadar Asmal Fellowship Programme. The IDEAS programme involves sharing experience of Ireland’s economic and social development with Vietnam in order to build the capacity of Vietnamese institutions engaged in economic and financial governance. The provision of fellowships for Vietnamese post-graduate students to study in Ireland is an integral component of the programme. The aim of the Kader Asmal Fellowship programme is to strengthen the capacity of partner organisations in South Africa to contribute to the reduction of poverty and vulnerability through economic development.
Each of these programmes is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in cooperation with our Embassies and a management agency, the Irish Council for International Students.
Under the budget for the aid programme, €1.52 million has been provided for the Fellowship Training Programme in 2013. This allocation is for the costs associated with fellowships awarded to study in Ireland or in the fellows’ own country or region. This figure also includes the management agency fees.
Costs of €970,750 will be incurred in 2013 under the Irish Development Experience Sharing Programme for Vietnam, and €63,897 under the Kader Asmal Programme for South Africa. All of this funding is counted towards the calculation of Ireland’s Official Development Assistance.
The precise allocations for fellowships for 2014 will be finalised in January and the budget for 2015 will be decided in the context of the annual budgetary process for that year.
