Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 November 2012
18. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details on his recent trip to assess the impact of Irish Aid in Vietnam; if there will be a change of focus in Irish Aid's work in Vietnam; and the outcomes of trade talks with the Vietnamese Government. [50099/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraVietnam is a priority country for Ireland’s aid programme, where we have a commitment to long term strategic assistance. I visited Vietnam from 28 to 31 October to see the impact of the aid programme, to promote trade between our two countries, and to support a number of key Irish companies working in Vietnam.
I met with senior Ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Hai, the Minister for Planning and Investment, the Minister for Social Affairs, the Minister for Justice, and the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. I held wide-ranging and very positive discussions focussing on our bilateral relations and the potential for improved trade between our two countries. I also raised our candidature for the Human Rights Council. All of the Ministers confirmed the very good bilateral relations between Ireland and Vietnam, and their desire, which I share, to further strengthen these.
As well as completing a full schedule of meetings in Hanoi, I travelled to the province of Quang Tri in the centre of the country, to see the work of Irish Aid at first hand. I visited a number of projects, including a school and clinic in a remote area where the population belong mainly to an ethnic minority. A major focus of our work in Vietnam is with some of the poorest and most vulnerable ethnic minorities in the country, many of whom live in remote mountainous regions. The work we support in Quang Tri province provides schooling, health care and basic rural infrastructure for these communities.
I also saw the work of the Mines Advisory Group, which, with the support of Irish Aid, is helping clear the legacy of war in the province. This area still contains a large amount of unexploded ordinance, particularly from undetonated cluster munitions. To date nearly 500 dangerous areas have been identified and over 400 emergency ordinance disposal response tasks have been carried out. In view of the continuing need, I announced that Irish Aid will make a further €600,000 available over three years to support the Mines Advisory Group’s work in removing unexploded bombs from villages and farmland in Quang Tri and other heavily affected provinces.
Vietnam is a country in transition, and, in addition to focusing on the needs of the poorest communities, Ireland is playing its part by providing economic expertise, and working to build stronger bilateral economic links. A major focus of our trade promotion efforts is on the education sector. I attended a prize giving ceremony in Hanoi for a major national competition, co-sponsored by the Embassy and Enterprise Ireland, which helped raise awareness of Ireland as a destination for some of the many Vietnamese students studying overseas every year.
I also hosted a networking lunch for key contacts in the education sector, which was attended by an Irish company which is helping to develop the secondary school system in Vietnam. I was Guest of Honour at a dinner hosted by ESB International to celebrate 25 years of its work in Vietnam. This provided an opportunity to showcase Ireland’s achievements in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, and brought together key contacts in the rapidly growing power generation and energy sector.
I was very satisfied that our programme in Vietnam is delivering assistance where it is most needed. The current Country Strategy runs until 2015, and while subject to ongoing review and evaluation, I am satisfied that its overall focus remains appropriate. I also believe that we are making real progress in building stronger economic links with Vietnam, which has made huge progress over the past 25 years, with the potential to become a key economic partner for Ireland. I invited the Vietnamese Minister for Planning and Investment to visit Ireland and I look forward to discussions with him early in 2013 when we can further develop relations between the two countries.
