New Irish Aid Public Information Campaign

An information booklet on the White Paper on Irish Aid will be delivered by An Post to every home in the country over the next two weeks. The booklet is one of a number of new initiatives to increase public understanding and awareness of what the Government’s overseas aid programme, Irish Aid, is achieving on behalf of Irish people in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The booklet clearly outlines what is in the recent White Paper, how and where Irish Aid works, the results it is achieving and how Irish people can help. Welcoming the publication of the booklet, Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister of State for Irish Aid, today said:

"It is critical that as the aid programme grows over the next few years Irish people understand and are aware of how their money is being spent.

“I received two consistent messages in public meetings around the country leading up to the publication of the White Paper– people felt they didn’t know enough about what the Government was doing in this area, and secondly there was a real appetite to know more. I made a commitment that we would provide more accessible information about Irish Aid’s work."

The booklet is available in Irish and English on the Irish Aid Web site www.irishaid.gov.ie

The White Paper, launched by the Taoiseach in September 2006, sets out comprehensively for the first time how and where the Government will spend tax-payers money on overseas development. Among the recommendations in the White Paper were increased efforts to improve public awareness and understanding of the programme.

Other public information projects planned by Irish Aid include the opening of a Public Information and Volunteering Centre on Dublin’s O’Connell Street later this year and a new programme to support overseas development related activities in Irish schools.

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