SLIP warmly welcomes the upgrading of the Irish Aid office in Sierra Leone to Embassy status. This underpins and consolidates the already strong relationship between the people of Ireland and Sierra Leone.
SLIP acknowledges that Irish Aid provide significant multilateral funding, approximately Euro 12 million in 2012, towards peace consolidation, stability and poverty reduction in line with the Government of Sierra Leone’s Poverty Reduction Strategy paper. Also many of the large Irish development agencies are conducting significant healthcare and poverty reduction programmes.
There is a long and rich tradition of Irish people working in Sierra Leone with development agencies and as Missionaries. This year it is 150 years since the Holy Ghost/Spiritan Congregation arrived in the capital Freetown and they along with many other missionary organisations contributed significantly to education, healthcare and other developments in the country.