Madam, - I can understand the concerns of those who feel financial aid from Ireland may sometimes fall into corrupt hands abroad but we would be well advised to remember we have had our own problems here. Tom Kitt TD, Minister of State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights, is correct when he writes (August 1st) that we cannot work solely in developing countries through Irish NGOs, admirable as their work is. The Government of the country must be involved as well.
To say we will distribute the taxpayers' largesse only through Irish NGOs implies publicly we do not feel the locals are up to the job. What we need to do and are doing is help the governments and NGOs of developing countries to fulfil their obligations to their own citizens, and this I have seen workers from Development Co-operation Ireland do in several African countries.
There are some areas which foreign NGOs simply cannot address. For example, I have seen some of our money spent in Ethiopia on supplying law books to the lower courts. How can human rights be addressed if the judges have no access to the law? I supported the use of some of our money to be spent on a census there. How can a government bring forward health and education policies if it has no idea how many children will turn up for vaccination or on the first day of school?
Of course we should be wary of inadvertently supporting corruption but those of us who agree with Tom Kitt are well able to look out for gold Rolexes and new Mercedes which might have been bought by foreign aid and advise on moving our money if necessary.
The development of good governance takes some time, especially when the former colonial powers divided up Africa as they felt fit and not as the tribal African nations desired. How much of the present conflicts in Africa are due to inappropriate borders? I agree with Mr Kitt we need to take a long-term approach to many of these countries' problems. - Yours etc.,
Senator MARY HENRY M.D. Seanad Éireann, Dublin.
Madam, - In his attack on the excellent Kevin Myers regarding corruption in African countries, Minister for Development Co-operation Mr Tom Kitt states: "Rather than shirking this challenge, we prefer to look at ways in which we can strengthen a country's defences against corruption and help it to build good governance".
I hope that Mr Kitt does not intend providing the version of good governance to Uganda that his ex-Fianna Fáil colleagues, Charles Haughey and Ray Burke, so kindly provided to this country in the not too distant past.- Yours etc.,
TOM MAHER, Grange Heights, Waterford.