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IRELAND ALLOCATED JUST under €160 million to nine different countries in the developing world last year according to figures released this week.
The government has set out the amount of money distributed to Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia in sub-Saharan Africa, and Timor Leste and Vietnam in Asia in the last two years in answer to a parliamentary question.
These countries are known as programme countries who are part of a long term, strategic development partnerships with the Irish government.
Mozambique received the largest portion of the €158.5 million distributed last year, €37 million, followed by Tanzania (€29.7 million) and Ethiopia (€25.8 million).
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The money distributed to the nine countries in question goes towards the development of certain essential services in these countries in the areas of health, education and food security.
“We also work in areas such as governance, gender equality, the environment and HIV and Aids, building systems of accountability that will ensure lasting development results,” Minister of State for Trade and Development Joe Costello said in answer to Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath.
As the table shows, last year Ireland distributed 12 per cent less than it did in 2011 to the countries, this included halving the amount given to Uganda which was at the centre of controversy when it was discovered that €4 million in Irish aid money was misappropriated.
The money was subsequently repaid but Irish Aid funding to Uganda has been temporarily suspended. Also this year, Timor Leste has ceased to be a programme country.
Costello also said for 2013 a total of €623 million has been allocated to Ireland’s programme for Official Development Assistance. Around €498 million of this will be managed by Irish Aid – the state agency responsible for the distribution of Irish aid funding.
Costello added: “We are currently in the process of finalising the 2013 detailed budget allocations across the aid programme and anticipate that we will allocate approximately one third of the total Irish Aid 2013 budget directly to Programme Countries.”
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Build more prisons and introduce a 3 strike system , 3rd strike = mandatory life sentences.
@John Judd: Agree. It worked extremely well in New York
@John Judd: For violent crimes, 100%
@John Judd: no. It might seem like we’re in a dark place right now, but we have to stick with this approach. 5—10 more years of not punishing/deterring crime in any meaningful way is bound to make this city safer. Near guaranteed.
@John Judd: 3 strike systems/minimum sentencing has proven to turn would be assaults/robberies into murder. If the person is guaranteed to be put away for a specific amount of time regardless of the severity of the crime, they’re more likely to try and get rid of the witness.
@Ellen Clare: Has this been proven? I doubt it. They have no respect for life anyway. Murder rates were always high in New York, even before the three strike rule.
I would happily pay more taxes to pay for more prisons.
@Stephenkee: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/468112?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Peer reviewed study there on how 3 strike laws increase homicide, and don’t reduce level of crime.
We need more Padraig Nallys.
Can you imagine prisoners were paid 3 million in ‘ pocket money’ last year.something needs to change.
@John: and one in five of them still collect welfare.
Robbing pensioners at knifepoint eh? So brave. We need to do away with suspended sentences and have these lowlifes suspended from the Spire on O Connell Street.
Really need to fix correctional system. Hard labour for these.
Sure our legal system protects criminals more than law abiding citizens.
@Stephenkee: it’s deliberate, think about it, the lawyers and judges are being given plenty of business by these mother*****kers getting their ‘free legal aid’ paid for by their victims’ tax money. They’ll get light sentences and most likely reoffend. Meanwhile the lawyers and judges are living in nice leafy, safe areas.
@Stephenkee: it seems the leftwing snowflakes care more about the criminals than law abiding citizens
Can we pay more income tax and build Thornton Hall? Maybe five or six hundred cells would be a help.
@KerryBlueMike: build it at the curragh, massive amount of space there and right on the motorway.also build a court house and save huge amounts of money transporting prisoners up and down to court in the Centre of Dublin.
Please put me in charge of it,please!
@KerryBlueMike: how about a 5 or 6 hundred Sq metre deep hole
We really need to fix the correctional system. I vote hard labour for these sc** bags.
Cream crackers.
where was the caretaker when all of this was happening,are there no alarms in the appartements
@Tony Niall: article said houses no mention of apartments.
Liberal nonsense has failed to deal with this type of despicable behaviour, time to take gloves off
Unfortunately for everyone else these scrotes take exceptional pride in being the lowest of the low!
have your say