Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I mentioned, our document commits to the implementation by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Africa Strategy, which underlines the need to respond to requests from our African partners from time to time to development a more rounded relationship. This includes economic ties as well as a more intensified political relationship with our bilateral partners.

As Deputy O'Sullivan may be aware, we have a total of 11 embassies in Africa, including in Nairobi, Kenya and Freetown, Sierra Leone, both of which opened only last year. We now have embassies in the strongest economies of west, east and southern Africa, particularly Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. What we need to do now is to ensure that we can move towards the achievement of a sustainable solution to poverty.

In this regard, countries need to generate their own revenues through sustained and equitable economic policies and we will be looking towards a greater level of employment, revenue, growth, trade and investment.

I am very conscious of the points Deputy O'Sullivan makes. I would hope that, at the earliest opportunity, we will be in a position to have an acceptable plan and a form of due diligence that will ensure that best practice from a human rights point of view exists in the relationship between all Irish companies and the African nations.

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