Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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7. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he plans to visit countries in receipt of Irish development aid. [31437/17]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade plans to visit the Horn of Africa region in early November where he will meet with national political leaders and the heads of regional organisations such as the Africa Union. Ireland maintains strong political, economic and development ties through our Embassies in Ethiopia and Kenya. These will be further enhanced by the Minister’s visit. During that visit, Minister Coveney will see first-hand the development and humanitarian programmes supported by Ireland, and managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

Ireland’s bilateral country programme in Ethiopia is our largest and this year amounts to €29 million. The programme is focused on supporting social protection, agriculture, maternal and child health and nutrition programmes, and on meeting the significant humanitarian needs in the country.

Ireland has a small development programme in Kenya of €450,000 which is focused on developing business links, and on improving the business environment in Kenya. Ireland also supports the development work of missionary and civil society organisations in Kenya.

Working with our UN and NGO partners, Ireland provides significant humanitarian assistance to Somalia. To date in 2017, €5.7 million has been provided to support life-saving operations. We also support our NGO partners’ long-term development work in Somalia.

While at the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Minister Coveney will have a series of bilateral meetings with a number of African national leaders and will discuss Ireland’s political and economic relations with the continent. It is likely that these meetings will result in further requests to deepen links including through inward and outward visits.