14 Samh 2011, 12:36
A cross-party delegation of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs & Trade today begins a five day visit to Ethiopia. The Joint Committee has responsibility for the parliamentary oversight of the Irish Aid programme. Ethiopia is one of Ireland's nine \"programme\" countries where Ireland is engaged in long-term strategic assistance. Ethiopia received €36 million in aid from Ireland in 2010.
In addition to high level political meetings with the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Parliamentarians, members of the Opposition, and the Deputy Chairman of the African Union, the delegation will meet a wide range of Irish NGOs working on the ground (Concern, Trocaire, GOAL etc), and visit Irish Aid supported programmes. The delegation will visit the northern region of Tigray, where Irish Aid has been working since 1994, and will also travel to a UN refugee camp to observe the work being done to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in the region.
Speaking from Addis Ababa, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs & Trade, Pat Breen TD., said: “Ireland can be rightly proud of its contribution to the development of Ethiopia in recent years. Even in the face of the current humanitarian crisis, Ethiopia stands out as one of the success stories of our overseas aid programme. In the past five years, the ratio of health extension workers to the general population has doubled and the number of people receiving treatment for AIDS has risen from 58% to 72%. In the same period, crop productivity in the northern region of Tigray has improved by nearly 70%. Since the year 2000 life expectancy has increased by almost 5 years and GNP per capita has increased by 75%.
“A recent United Nations Human Development report ranked Ethiopia 11th out of 135 countries in terms of improvement over the last 30 years. Economic Growth for 2010 was estimated at between 8% and 10%. These statistics demonstrate the benefits of effective and strategic development policies. However, Ethiopia continues to face a number of challenges, including in the sphere of human rights and continuing high numbers living in abject poverty. This week's visit will be important to the Committee to see at first hand how effective Irish Aid is in Ethiopia. We will be meeting with key political leaders, local and Irish NGOs on the ground, opposition leaders and representatives of civil society to examine key challenges facing Ethiopia today,” Deputy Breen said this morning.
The delegation, which consists of a representative of all the main political parties, is also being accompanied by Mary Fitzgerald from the Irish Times.
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551