Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

World Vision Ireland delivered an impressive presentation on the importance of educational aid programmes to yesterday's Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. I hope the percentage of the overall budget going to educational aid will increase. Will the Minister outline the steps he has taken to confirm that moneys allocated in areas such as Ethiopia and Uganda are being spent on the programmes for which they are intended? It is a matter of concern that some of the money may not reach its target. One NGO has said all aid to Uganda and Ethiopia should be stopped, with which I disagree because the most deprived and needy would suffer. Is the Minister satisfied that moneys going to those countries are going directly to the projects for which they are intended and will he tell us his attitude to the call for a total cut of Irish aid to those two countries?

See this speech in context