Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Lesotho will remain a priority country for Irish official development assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19329/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's programme of development co-operation with Lesotho began in 1975, making it the longest running of our bilateral country programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Our programme has expanded significantly in recent years, with the budget increasing from €6 million in 1999 to almost €11 million in 2005. A sharp focus on poverty reduction underlies all our activities in Lesotho. The main components of the programme are rural water supply, education, health, HIV-AIDS and governance.

The Lesotho programme has been in place for 30 years and, in comparison to the other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where Ireland operates bilateral programmes, the country is relatively well placed on the current UNDP human development index, ranking 145 out of 177 countries. Thus, for example, indicators for levels of absolute poverty, access to basic education, mortality rates for children under five and access to health services in Lesotho, while low, are better than any of Ireland's other bilateral programme countries.

Ireland's support to Lesotho is set out in country strategy papers which are agreed with the Government of Lesotho every three years. A country strategy covering the period 2005-07 was approved at the beginning of this year. The programme will focus on policy development in the areas of health, education and HIV-AIDS, improved governance and the strengthening of systems to enhance the delivery of basic services to the poor. Consideration will also be given to the long-term and to examining ways to meet the ongoing needs of Lesotho other than primarily through direct bilateral support. Options to be considered include channelling of assistance through regional structures and programmes, NGOs and community-based organisations.

The Government of Lesotho holds Ireland in high regard for the quality and duration of our assistance, and for the fact that, unlike some other bilateral donors, it maintained a presence in the country after the ending of apartheid in South Africa. We are conscious of the need to proceed in a manner which takes the special friendship between the two countries into account and continues to meet the development needs of the people of Lesotho.