Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response to the international requirements that arose during the year. Many unforeseen emergencies occurred to which Ireland responded. The Minister and the Minister of State responded admirably even in the current difficult economic circumstances. It is important to recognise that we hope to return as quickly as possible to working towards the target of 0.7% of GDP in our contribution to international aid but we must work within the budget we have. It is most important to ensure the aid goes to those for whom it was intended and there are no circumstances in which other parties can benefit from funds intended for a particular objective.

I agree with my colleagues regarding Lesotho, which was a great example of how successful Irish Aid can be in a bilateral aid programme. Ireland undertook the sponsorship of the programme in a one to one fashion which was easy to monitor and it was easy to ensure the funding was properly focused. This is being replicated elsewhere.

The integrity of international aid is hugely important and the degree to which we can be certain that we have adequate checks and balances in place to ensure the moneys collected at this time go to where they are intended and that nobody cynically decides to intervene negatively, which would lead to an undermining of public confidence in the aid programme.

I agree with the upgrading of facilities in Sierra Leone and the new status of the mission and so on. The staff should be acknowledged and complimented for the work they did in the past in difficult circumstances. Their commitment to the cause has been impressive. When we visited the embassy last year, we were greeted by an all-female staff. This was not the average downtown office with all the facilities and services laid on such as the Internet, street lighting, footpaths and community services. There is serious social deprivation in the area. There are no footpaths, sewerage schemes or public lighting. Nothing has changed since the British left in the early 1960s. It was a challenging scenario in which to deploy our diplomatic service. The staff improvised and they had a significant positive impact in challenging circumstances, which should be recognised.