Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a very positive partnership agreement for the European Union and Vietnam in a number of ways. First, trade between Vietnam and Ireland is growing all the time. Every member state has signed up to this and other countries are in the process of ratifying it. It must be positive because the ten ASEAN countries are important trading partners for Europe. The fact that we have an embassy in Hanoi is important. While it may be something for the new Government and Minister to consider, it would be positive to have a resident embassy from Vietnam in Ireland also given that the partnership agreement with the EU has been put in place. Our aid programme is an important one and I have seen the projects myself at first hand. I have seen the marginalised people in rural areas and the mountain people Irish Aid is supporting. Other projects include one which was very unusual and which the Committee on Public Accounts saw as well. Through that project, we are funding the removal of mines 40 years after the war ended. People are still dying as a result of mines. From a human perspective, that is a really good project and one it is very positive for Ireland to contribute to. I thank the Minister of State and his officials, Maeve Collins, Paul Griffin, Kevin Dowling and Fiona Nic Dhonnacha, for attending and engaging so constructively with the committee.