Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

419. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of Malawi being one of Irish Aid's key partner countries in receipt of Irish aid, if he will support debt relief for Malawi, use Ireland's experience in Irish revenue, and influence in the OECD and EU to support the designing and strengthening of its domestic tax system; if he will negotiate a tax treaty with Malawi using the UN model rather than the OECD model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37805/14]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ireland has long been to the forefront of the global initiative to support debt cancellation for the least developed countries, including Malawi.

Since 1996 we have provided over €116 million for international debt cancellation initiatives, despite the fact our development aid has always been untied and provided on grant terms, and never as loans. We can be proud that Ireland has contributed our full financial share to both of the main elements of the debt relief framework, namely the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI).

Malawi became a partner country for Ireland in 2007 and our aid budget in 2013 amounted to some €19.5 million. Our current country strategy for Malawi links the crucial issues of food, nutrition and good governance with a focus on those communities most vulnerable to the interwoven challenges of poverty, hunger and climate change.

As highlighted in the Department’s Africa Strategy, Ireland supports a number of important initiatives to encourage more effective and equitable tax raising models in Africa. Following previous collaboration between the Revenue Commissioners and the Rwanda Revenue Authority, my Department is discussing a broader framework of cooperation between the Revenue Commissioners and our partner countries. This currently includes the possibility of bilateral collaboration with the Malawian Revenue Authorities based on their specific needs.