Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Ministerial Travel

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 March 2013

Thursday, 28 March 2013

Ceisteanna (60)

Michael Colreavy

Ceist:

60. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of his recent official visit to Tanzania and Mozambique; the Irish Aid programmes he visited in Mozambique and Tanzania; and if he will provide a report of what was discussed and decided at the EU-Southern African Development Community Political Dialogue which he chaired. [15527/13]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Between 10 and 23 March, I visited Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique to examine the impact of Ireland’s development assistance programme and opportunities for the expansion of trade and investment. My programme in South Africa was predominantly focused on strengthening economic and business links with Ireland.

Tanzania and Mozambique are priority countries for the Government’s aid programme, where we have a commitment to long term strategic assistance. Our programmes in both countries are focused on reducing poverty through improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers, more equitable and better quality public health services and improved nutritional status for women and children. We also work in areas such as governance, gender equality and building systems of accountability which will ensure lasting development results for the poorest people and communities.

In Tanzania, I visited health centres and schools to see how Ireland's support for health, education and nutrition programmes are making a lasting difference in people’s lives. I also visited Dar es Salaam port, and a rural electrification project operated by ESBI, and I met with Irish and local businesses to discuss how we can continue to increase trade volumes between Ireland and Tanzania. In Mozambique, I saw how Ireland’s targeted development programme supports the poorest families to access education, basic healthcare and improve their livelihoods. I also met with Irish and local business community members to see how the Government can best support Irish companies, including agri-businesses, to enter the emerging Mozambican market. I visited Inhambane, one of the two provinces where Ireland focuses its support, an area which is now developing following decades of destruction in the civil war. I saw important signs of change, including during a school visit, but also the serious challenges that remain to be addressed. One of these is the scourge of HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases, including TB, which I discussed with our partners, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and during a visit to a health centre and a home based care organisation. I also saw how Ireland is working in Mozambique to improve the capacity of the private sector to provide jobs and economic opportunities.

In Maputo on 20 March, with the Foreign Ministers of Mozambique and Tanzania, I co-chaired, as the representative of Ireland’s EU Presidency, the first meeting in five years of the political dialogue between the EU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the political and economic association of 15 countries in the region. We discussed the economic situation in the region, which is experiencing impressive economic growth, and the need for greater progress on trade liberalisation between the EU and southern Africa. We also focused on important developments in the political situation in Zimbabwe, in the wake of the constitutional referendum, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar.

The meeting served to restore the official dialogue between the EU and SADC. We agreed that Ministerial-level meetings will now be organised every two years, along with annual meetings at senior official level.

Barr
Roinn