Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which his Department sources Fairtrade products for use in same. [15819/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Fairtrade mark is an independent assurance that producers in developing countries receive a fair price for their products. It provides a vital opportunity for producers in the poorest developing countries to access international markets on fair terms of trade and also for people in Ireland to make a practical contribution to improving the conditions of producers in developing countries.

I fully support the objectives of the Fairtrade campaign and am glad to confirm that Fairtrade products, such as tea and coffee, are in use in the Department of Foreign Affairs including at events organised by our protocol division in Iveagh House for visiting dignitaries etc.

The Deputy may also wish to note that since 1996, Development Co-operation Ireland has been making grant aid available to Fairtrade Mark Ireland, the national fair trade labelling organisation. In 2004, Fairtrade Mark Ireland received a grant of €40,994 through the development education grants scheme to support its main activities including: promotion of the concept of Fairtrade with businesses; development education; and raising public awareness, in particular through the Fairtrade Fortnight and the Fairtrade Towns initiative.

Development Co-operation Ireland is also assisting community-based Fairtrade agricultural projects in Central America. Over the three-year period 2003-05, funding of €567,000 has been provided to promote access to fair-traded marketing options for coffee cooperatives in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Funding is channelled through the regional office of the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation based in El Salvador. Del Campo, a Fairtrade certified co-operative in Nicaragua, has received funding of €187,000 to support small grain producers over three years to process and market a variety of products including sesame seed.