Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Two of the projects from Deputy O'Sullivan's area were originally in my constituency. I am aware of the Harambee project. The ambassador from Kenya visited the Institute of Technology in Tallaght to talk about that. I think it means in Swahili 'all pull together'. We are talking about our two countries pulling together and the idea that it is not just one-way traffic but that we work together and pass ideas back and forth. South Dublin County Council ran a project in the Waribi area in Ethiopia. Local authority workers went back and forth and council staff and councillors put part of their income towards funding it. There was that sort of interaction, with people travelling back and forth and learning from each other. There was a lot of positivity about that. People brought back their own stories about the relationship and the friendships that will go on forever and be passed on to others.

Irish Aid is involved in both countries. What are the Kenyan Government's thoughts on how Irish Aid interacts and works with it, compared with other European aid organisations - for example, Irish Aid is not tied? Both ambassadors spoke about conditionality. How important is that in the context of Irish Aid? Are there any specific areas on which they would like Irish Aid to focus?

I recall the lack of fisheries protection in Tanzania. European trawlers come in and strip the sea of tuna. How important would a partnership approach and greater European funding be in that region?

The World Bank recently classified Kenya as a lower middle income country. It was previously ranked low income. Given the country's increasing income and the growing middle class, how important does the Government feel it is that the wealth is shared?

What is the impact of climate change and the east African food crisis on Kenya? I am interested in the political situation. There have been all sorts of allegations in the media of excessive police force and so on. Are these cases being investigated? It would be important for Irish people to know they are supporting a country that is clear about democracy, and that goes for Ethiopia too.

Are there any specific issues on which Ethiopia would like Irish Aid to focus? Ethiopia has become one of the fastest growing economies, with a growth of 8% to 10% in the past 15 years. That is phenomenal growth. Has the government there been able to use the wealth to tackle inequality? How much is Ethiopia affected by climate change?

There were 880,000 refugees from south Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea in Ethiopia. What support does Ethiopia get from the international community? Do the Ethiopian people support the decision to host these refugees or is there resentment there? It is very important for the stability of the country that the people are on side with that.

There was a state of emergency during protests last year. Has that been lifted? What political reform has been delivered?