Results 61-80 of 4,920 for in 'Written Answers' speaker:Michael Kitt
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: The White Paper on Irish Aid included a commitment to establish a new Inter-Departmental Committee on Development to strengthen coherence in the Government's approach to development and to make best use of the expertise and skills available across the public service. I am pleased to say that, in line with that commitment, an Inter-Departmental Committee on Development has been established....
- Written Answers — Hunger Task Force: Hunger Task Force (6 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: The establishment of a Hunger Task Force was one of the recommendations of the White Paper on Irish Aid published in September 2006. The aim of the Hunger Task Force is to identify the additional, appropriate and effective contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce hunger. The first meeting of the Hunger Task Force took place in Dublin on 14 September 2007 and the...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (6 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: Ireland provides development assistance to Uganda directly and also through NGOs, missionaries and other international partner organisations. In 2006 Ireland provided over â¬32 million in direct assistance. Additional funding of over â¬9.5 million was made available through other organisations including the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNHCR, Oxfam, World Vision and Irish NGOs such...
- Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (6 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: Global warming is a serious concern to everyone. We are all increasingly aware of the threat this now poses to humanity. The Government is strongly committed to fulfilling its international obligations to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. However, global warming cannot be solved by one country alone â it requires the commitment of all nations in the world. Rain forests...
- Written Answers — Health Issues: Health Issues (6 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: As outlined in the White Paper on Irish Aid, the Government's commitment to tackling HIV and AIDS and other diseases of poverty will remain a top priority for our aid programme. We are committed to developing programmes that address the key causes of illness and ill health among the poorest and most vulnerable people, and to strengthening health systems in the poorest countries. Following the...
- Written Answers — Debt Relief: Debt Relief (6 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: There are two main international instruments which address the problem of the debt burden in the developing world, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). The HIPC Initiative, which was launched in 1996 and strengthened and enhanced in 1999, seeks to reduce the debt burden of qualifying countries to sustainable levels but does...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (12 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: Irish Aid delivers assistance to over 30 countries in Africa and has developed long term partnerships with seven of these countries which are known as programme countries. These are Tanzania, Zambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda, Ethiopia and Malawi. Asia, Vietnam and East Timor are also designated as programme countries. These partnerships allow Irish Aid to provide significant, predictable...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (26 Feb 2008)
Michael Kitt: The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), adopted in the year 2000 as part of the commitments undertaken by Heads of Government at the Millennium Summit, represent a framework for international economic and social development up to the year 2015. As such they are at the heart of the Government's work in our development cooperation programme. Irish Aid's focus on reducing poverty and...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Ireland provides development support to some of the poorest countries in the world, some of which are ranked as having a significant level of corruption. Working in countries with corruption and weak governance generates a risk for donors, including Ireland. Corruption affects the poorest and most marginalised in society. We are committed to addressing it through improving transparency and...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Ireland has had a development relationship with Zambia since the 1960s and it was designated as a Programme Country in 1980. It is expected that Ireland will provide assistance of approximately â¬30m to Zambia in 2008. The central goal of the programme is to assist the Government and people of Zambia in reducing chronic poverty and inequality, through support for its national poverty...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: The Government is committed to expanding Ireland's Overseas Aid programme. We have set a target of spending 0.7% of GNP on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) by 2012 and we are well on track to meeting this UN target. For 2008, the Government has allocated â¬914 million to ODA. The majority of this funding â â¬814 million â comes under Vote 29, International Cooperation, which is...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Irish Aid has in place rigorous accounting and audit controls. Audits of the Irish Aid programme are undertaken on the basis of a three-year rolling work plan, with clear priority being given to the audit of expenditure in programme countries. The strategy embraces four separate though very complementary approaches: (a) Work carried out directly by Irish Aid's Evaluation and Audit Unit, and...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than 50% of the population living on less that US$1 a day and one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates. Nepal is also prone to disasters, which are likely to become more frequent in the future due to climate change. Last year, floods and landslides affected over 60% of the country and displaced more than 70,000 people....
- Written Answers — Rapid Response Corps: Rapid Response Corps (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Sixty-four volunteers were invited to become members of the Rapid Response Corps in 2007 following a rigorous selection and interview process. Fifty-two of this group completed their pre-departure training and checks last year, and are ready to deploy when requested. Since November 2007, eight Corps members have been deployed in Sri Lanka, Kenya, Somalia, Nepal, Mozambique, Tanzania, Sudan...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: The Department of Foreign Affairs has provided funding for organisations operating in Nepal under a number of different schemes, which are summarised below: Department of Foreign Affairs â Irish Aid Grant aid to organisations operating in Nepal 2005 2006 2007 ⬠⬠⬠NGO co-financing â block grant scheme / Civil Society Fund (2006 onwards) Action Aid 200,000 229,401...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Irish Aid has in place rigorous accounting and audit controls. Audits of the Irish Aid programme are undertaken on the basis of a three-year rolling work plan, managed by the Evaluation and Audit Unit, with clear priority being given to the audit of expenditure in programme countries. The strategy embraces four separate, though very complementary, approaches: (a) Work carried out directly by...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: The White Paper on Irish Aid sets out the principles and policies underlying the aid programme. It outlines the vision for the future and a number of key initiatives. It also identifies considerations which guide the selection of long term development partners. These include factors such as the level of poverty and the scope for Ireland to make a positive impact. It also includes standards of...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are at the heart of Ireland's development cooperation programme as set out in the 2006 White Paper on Irish Aid. They inform both our programme of development cooperation and our support for and dialogue with multilateral development bodies. Irish Aid's focus on reducing poverty and supporting the provision of basic services to the poorest people...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: Irish Aid has been providing development assistance to Tanzania since 1975 and it was designated as a Programme Country in 1979. It is expected that Ireland will provide assistance of approximately â¬40 million to Tanzania in 2008. The central goal of the programme is to assist the Government and people of Tanzania in reducing poverty, through supporting the implementation of its national...
- Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (11 Mar 2008)
Michael Kitt: It is expected that Ireland will provide assistance of approximately â¬44 million to Uganda through its programme of bilateral assistance in 2008. In addition to funds provided directly through the programme, support is channelled indirectly through NGO partners, missionaries, UN agencies and civil society organisations. The overarching objective of the programme is the reduction of...