Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the foreign aid that is being given to Tanzania; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13523/13]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Ireland’s aid programme prioritises the fight against global poverty and hunger. Ireland has long term, strategic development partnership programmes with a number of developing countries, called Programme Countries. These are Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia in sub-Saharan Africa, and Vietnam in Asia. In these countries we aim to build government and institutional capacities to deliver the essential services that their populations need – mainly in the areas of health, education and food security.

In 2012, Ireland provided €29.7m to support our bilateral programme in Tanzania. The programme has a particular focus on reducing poverty through improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers, more equitable and better quality public health services and improved nutritional status for women and children. We also work in areas such as governance, gender equality and building systems of accountability that will ensure lasting development results.

Comprehensive details of how Ireland’s total Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), including funding allocated directly to Programme Countries, was spent in 2012 are currently being compiled and will be published in the Irish Aid Annual Report which will be available on the Irish Aid website . Comprehensive details of all countries that benefited from Ireland’s aid programme in 2011 can be found in the 2011 Irish Aid Annual Report which is currently available on the Irish Aid website.