asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of money made available from Ireland's ODA programme for the following projects in Lesotho for 1977, 1978 and 1979 and the amount to be made available for 1980: (i) Hololo Valley Project, (ii) Basotho Pony Project, (iii) Lesotho Airways Corporation, (iv) Ministry of Public Works, (v) Lesotho Electricity Corporation, (vi) Lesotho National Development Corporation, (vii) the Outworker Hand Knitting Operation, (viii) the Berea Knitwear plant, (ix) the Central Support Services programme, (x) the secondary teachers programme, (xi) the Centre for Accounting Studies, (xii) the Maseru preparatory school and (xiii) the Lesotho distance teaching centre.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving the information requested by the Deputy regarding the expenditure from the Bilateral Aid Programme on projects in Lesotho for 1977-1979.

As the project allocations have not yet been finalised for 1980, I am not in a position to provide the Deputy with this information.

Can I ask a question on that?

It is not usual, but all right.

With regard to Ireland's ODA programme and the projects referred to in the question does the Minister share the concern of some of the agencies involved in this field in view of what the Minister sees as necessary cut-backs but what I see as unacceptable cut-backs in the programme? Is the Minister aware of the statement by Mr. Brian McKeon the director of Trócaire who referred to——

The Deputy asked for permission to ask a question in circumstances where it is not usual to do so and now he is making a statement.

I am asking the Minister if he is familiar with a statement made by the director of Trócaire, a most reputable agency involved in this field, in which he said that what has been done in this year's estimates in relation to the Third World, represents a turning of our backs on people——

Statements are not read at Question Time.

I am sure the Deputy is concerned about this aspect but as I said earlier in response to Deputy Quinn we are by no means at the bottom of the league——

It is a league of shame.

We are only exceeded by very affluent countries like Sweden.

Question No. 58.

The United States of America is not far ahead of us.

The Chair has called question No. 58.

58.