Minister of State Conor Lenihan TD,welcomes EU efforts to monitor and harmonise aid funding in Africa

The E.U. moved today to urge all its Member Countries to "untie" their aid programmes to make them more efficient.
 
"Today's declaration in Luxembourg by Europe's 25 Development Ministers will hopefully spell the beginning of the end for tied aid amongst member countries", said Minister of State Mr Conor Lenihan.
 
Irish Aid is 100% untied and focused on the poorest countries in the world.
 
"Tied Aid does no service to the very poor people we are trying to help. I hope other donors will follow Ireland's lead and stamp out this bad practice", said Minister of State Lenihan.
 
Meanwhile Minister of State Lenihan has welcomed E.U. wide efforts to  monitor the efficency of European Aid and harmonise aid funding on the ground in Africa.
 
Minister of State Lenihan also underpinned a call from U.K. Chancellor Gordon Brown that International Donors should contribute more to a fast-track initiative by the World Bank to improve participation in schools across the Developing World.

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11 April 2006
Press Office

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