Seanad debates
Wednesday, 26 November 2003
Overseas Development Aid: Motion.
The issue of communication was mentioned by many Members. We need to find ways to improve our message and that is something we are working on. I am anxious that Members from both Houses of the Oireachtas should be involved in seeing what is going on abroad. I have taken the initiative on that front. Members from this House will be involved quite soon. That will come into next year's programme. It is important that we build up the development community out there. I was asked about the Agency for Personal Service Overseas, APSO, by Senator Minihan. The question is timely because I am pursuing a modernisation programme on three fronts. I mentioned the private sector: an ICT task force is reporting to me in the next week and that will provide new opportunities to help many of these countries on the new technology front. We will come back to that. As regards the volunteers, APSO is being integrated into the Department of Foreign Affairs. We now have an opportunity to progress the whole approach to volunteers and to modernise it.
No comments