Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise but I must leave by 4.15 p.m. for an appointment. I agree with the Minister of State's conclusion that we have a well-earned reputation. It comes from the fact that our aid is untied and poverty focused and from the way in which it is delivered. We know this through our contact with our ambassadors, embassies and NGOs and missionaries. It is important that we hold on to that reputation. The threats to it come from policy incoherence in the tax area, climate change and workers' rights areas, which I have spoken about previously. However, the positive has to be acknowledged today.

I know that with our partner countries the focus is on Africa but given the increase in funding, can we look further? I ask that question wearing my hat as Chair of the Ireland-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group. As chair of that group I have met a number of the Nepalese community here, as well as Irish groups and organisations involved in projects in education and health particularly. Nepal ticks a lot of the boxes in terms of an area that we could consider working with. I am not suggesting that we should take on another partner but I ask that consideration to given to working with Nepal because of the extent of the work that is going on there now.

I also have concerns about the EU trust fund. Only today we learned of another issue in regard to Libya. In the Mediterranean, migrants rescued have taken over the rescued tanker. It tried to land in Italy and it was pushed back. We know that the migrants do not want to go back to Libya because of what is happening in the centres there.