Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 376: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are support mechanisms for persons (details supplied) travelling with voluntary groups to assist under developed nations in building, refurbishment or assisting with the provision of health care and educational facilities in such countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7290/07]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 379: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there is a mechanism or grant scheme available from his Department, to assist persons or groups who travel to undeveloped countries to assist such voluntary groups with providing health and educational facilities in such countries, with the cost of immunisation injections and so on towards volunteers health care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7289/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 379 together.

The Irish Aid programme, administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, provides significant funding annually — over €100m in 2007 — to Irish non-governmental organisations to assist them in carrying out their development work. Such funding may include provision for healthcare costs for volunteer development workers arising from their travel. Any Irish registered charity or non-governmental organisation may apply for project funding under two schemes administered by Irish Aid, namely, the Civil Society Fund and the Micro Projects Scheme.

The project funding available under both of these schemes can support reasonable health costs associated with volunteers' development work. This support is normally requested as an integral part of the personnel costs associated with the implementation of a particular project. I have arranged for details of the relevant Civil Society funding schemes to be forwarded to the Deputy.