asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the proposed withdrawal of 12 teaching development aid workers and six development aid workers, qualified as technicians in medical laboratory training, from Lesotho following the cutback in the bilateral programme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Development Aid Workers.
54.
There are at present in Lesotho two different groups of Irish teachers involved in education projects. Some of these are engaged in projects under the bilateral aid programme administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs; others are sponsored by the Agency for Personal Service Overseas (APSO), which is an independent semi-State agency funded by a grant-in-aid administered by my Department from the Vote for International Co-operation.
The Deputy is, I believe, referring to a group of 12 secondary teachers, whose assignments are funded by APSO. A decision relating to these teachers, including any proposed withdrawal, would be taken by the executive committee and board of the agency. I am not aware that such a decision has been taken.
Five technical teachers are engaged in Lesotho in a technical diversification project, under the bilateral aid programme. It is not proposed that they be withdrawn.
The six laboratory technicians, to whom the Deputy refers, are engaged in a project, part of which is funded under the bilateral aid programme. However, the salaries and contracts of the personnel involved are managed by APSO; I am not aware that the executive committee and board of APSO have taken a decision to withdraw them.
Would the Minister accept that any decision taken by the executive committee of APSO would be related very largely to the funds available to them to carry out this programme?
Yes.
Would the Minister agree that, even if they have not taken a direct decision on this matter, he would have a vicarious responsibility from the point of view of the continuation of this programme?
Yes. I am not trying to dodge my responsibilities.
Does that mean the Minister accepts that the cutbacks in aid will affect not just this programme but all the programmes in Lesotho?
I have met APSO people. At the moment they are going through their programmes with a view to effecting economies. I have said that any continuing work will continue but that this year new projects will not be taken on. We are seeking to see how we can work out on that basis within the grant allocation. We are engaged on this exercise at the moment.
In effect, is it not a paring down of the whole operation? Does the Minister not accept that programmes in Lesotho and elsewhere are not carried out on a year to year basis? They have to be planned in advance and a shake down of this order will have serious repercussions on the programme in that area.
We are seeking to have it on a more planned economic basis. The view is that, if this were allowed to mushroom too much, it could get out of hand. In the financial sense we are not by any means reneging on responsibilities. We will continue to follow through undertakings. I gave that assurance to the House before. That will be the position. We will be looking very closely at any new applications or proposals.
I want to ask the Minister two basic questions. First, will he state whether he feels the bilateral aid programme to Lesotho in the past was somehow or other unplanned and, if so, in what way? Secondly, can he say when the 12 teachers who may be coming back went out there?
In answer to the first question, I have not been in any way critical of APSO. They have done excellent work. It is a question of cutting our cloth according to our measure and seeking to ensure in a year of budgetary constraints that the amount allocated will be spent in the most economic manner possible. With regard to the teachers to whom Deputy Quinn referred, I have not got the information as to when exactly they went out there. Speaking from recollection it was something in the order of two years ago I think. I will have it checked and find out for the Deputy the precise time they went.
These are not the teachers who were recruited directly by the Department and went out before Christmas?
No.