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

The point I was trying to emphasise there, although I probably did not do it very well, was not a concern about our aid and trade policy. I was concerned about other players in the field.

For instance, China has been known to practise that kind of policy in Africa. I have no doubt it is practising it in Vietnam to an extent as well. The danger is that countries which, rightly, do not follow that practice will find themselves subsidising the countries which demand trade for aid. That is my point and I would like it to be borne in mind. We could find ourselves down the road in a few years asking what we are doing this for, having benefited competing countries, been outstripped in trade agreements and disadvantaged by some of our colleagues in the same trading area.