Results 1,181-1,200 of 1,981 for speaker:Conor Lenihan

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The complex series of factors, which contribute to the enormous needs we encounter in Africa, include food insecurity, poverty, environmental degradation, weak governmental capacity and policies, unequal global trading relationships, protracted conflict, severe infrastructural weaknesses, poor governance, debt and the effects of HIV/AIDS. Addressing Africa's needs, especially the interests of...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The countries outlined by the Deputy are termed "programme countries" and are thus a particular focus for the Government's aid programme, Irish Aid. The objectives of the aid programme in each programme country are poverty reduction and sustainable development. We address fundamental human needs such as food security, basic education, primary health care and safe water supplies. We also...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I would like to answer the very pertinent questions posed by the Deputy. My Department welcomes the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. It is the first time in the 30-year history of the Irish Aid programme that the Comptroller and Auditor General has seen fit to investigate how this funding is spent. In response to his report, I made immediate representations, along with the...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I entirely agree with the spirit of the question posed by Deputy Michael D. Higgins. For Irish Aid, the definition of governance is far wider than the one he suggests is applied by the World Bank. The latter is bound to use such a definition because it is an economic institution.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: As an agency that disperses development co-operation funding, we take a much different approach. It is a broad definition which encompasses the human capacity of the countries in which we operate to manage themselves, in particular their public finances and the means of developing their expertise at managing those finances. We spend some €70 million each year on governance measures across...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: In some of our programme countries, traditional and indigenous systems of leadership are in place which are important in terms of influencing people, whether in regard to AIDS prevention, democratic government or other issues. We offer assistance where such systems are in place; we work with the environment we find.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: Its funding has not been cut.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The Department is extremely satisfied with the nature and focus of the programmes and projects run by Self Help in Africa. As I publicly stated myself and through my officials, however, we are dissatisfied with the internal warring feud that is ongoing for almost a year within its board in Ireland and between the chief executive officer and certain members of the board. This is not...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I apologise, I intended to answer that question. I have not spoken to the IFA, nor did I instruct my officials to do so. However, my officials were contacted by representatives of the IFA who expressed their concern about the situation in Self Help. My officials were mindful of the fact that the basis for Self Help's funding is essentially founded on the support of the IFA throughout the...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: My officials were extremely concerned that a major sponsor of a charity should withdraws its support. That should cause alarm bells to ring. They would have been neglectful of their duty if they did not speak to the IFA about this matter.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: In a recent edition of Village, Mr. Frank Connolly asserted in the headline of an article that IFA officials are bullying my officials. This is absolutely not the case. The IFA has behaved in a proper manner in regard to all these matters. I reject such an insinuation, particularly by Mr. Connolly——

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: ——whom I find to be a highly inaccurate journalist in my personal dealings with him.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I will not answer the Deputy's first question. It is just casting aspersions on a colleague who may be a rival of the Deputy's.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: The €40 million was the total budget for Mozambique. To date, the emphasis has been on primary education and giving those in the programme countries an opportunity to attend school. The results so far have been good, particularly in Uganda. Moneys are mainly spent on schools and teacher training. A pressing issue in some of the programme countries, which have done well in primary...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 31 and 36 together. The Government has provided a total allocation of €728 million in Vote 29, international co-operation, for 2007. A further €85 million will be allocated to overseas development through other Departments, bringing the total allocation in 2007 to €813 million. This represents an increase of €128 million on the 2006 level of...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I will try my level best to maintain this area of responsibility. There is cross-party support that we should achieve the 0.7% target by 2012. While other parties may have liked to see it reached earlier, when I took this job, I decided the target time had to be reframed because it was not realistic. Legislating for it has been raised by several Deputies but I am not sure whether it would...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: We are well in position to achieve these milestones. Next year, we will have reached 0.5% of GNP. Members berated me when I first took up this area of responsibility, claiming we needed to be credible on achieving the target. I stated, even prior to the setting of the 2012 target date, that we needed to be on 0.5% in the next two years to prove we could make the jump to 0.7%. The next...

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: I wholeheartedly agree with the Deputy but Irish Aid already funds the Irish Missionary Resource Service, IMRS, to the tune of €14 million this year. That funds 1,500 missionaries in the field. Irish Aid officials are discussing this with the Department of Social and Family Affairs which carries primary responsibility for the provision of pensions and other social welfare entitlements....

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: With regard to the IFA it is a question of whether one feels bullied. Many Ministers for Agriculture over the years might have claimed they were bullied by the IFA.

Overseas Development Aid. (23 Nov 2006)

Conor Lenihan: If we on this side of the House have an issue with the IFA we stand up to it, as we do to Deputy Gormley. We could not be bullied by it. There is a rather toxic quality to the relationship between the IFA and Self Help to the point where the IFA has withdrawn its support for that organisation. That is a matter of profound regret and concern to me because it has implications for the...