asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the present position in relation to the request by the Nicaraguan Government for 3,500 tonnes of dried milk for use in its nutrition programme for children and the elderly.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Nicaraguan Government Food Request.
7.
No official request has been received from Nicaraguan authorities for a separate allocation from Ireland of milk powder as food aid. The European Community is, however, supplying very substantial quantities of food aid including milk powder to Nicaragua and Ireland as a member of the Community participates in and strongly supports these measures.
The European Community has been giving to food aid assistance to Nicaragua since 1979. In each of the years 1985, 1986 and 1987 it has granted aid to Nicaragua in the form of cereals, milk powder, butteroil, vegetable oil and beans. One thousand eight hundred tonnes of milk powder were granted in each of the years 1985 and 1986. In 1987 the allocation was increased to 2,000 tonnes as were those for other products also.
In view of the special difficulty of the situation in Nicaragua, the European Community is increasing substantially the overall level of food aid to that country still further in 1988 with particular reference to cereals and beans. This is to be done as a matter of urgency and is a concrete manifestation of the greater European Community assistance for the countries of Central America promised at the Hamburg Conference between Foreign Affairs Ministers for the two sides on 29 February and 1 March last.
Ireland has strongly supported Community food aid proposals to assist Nicaragua and continues to do so. As a member of the Community we also contribute our share to the cost of these operations.
A Cheann Comhairle, while grateful for the indication of continuing support at Community level that the Minister has indicated, I must ask if he is aware that his colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, prior to the meeting of 29 February and 1 March indicated to the Dáil that he had received a specific request from the Nicaraguan Ambassador in London, Francisco d'Escoto, asking for 3,500 tonnes of dried milk and on that occasion a copy of the telex was delivered by me to the Minister for Foreign Affairs? Is the Minister further aware that the reason for the specific request for 3,500 tonnes of dried milk from Ireland was that Ireland is free from foot and mouth disease, as is Nicaragua. Finally, is the Minister aware that after the meeting of 29 February and 1 March an undertaking was given to me that the 3,500 tonnes of dried milk would be part of Ireland's commitment by way of Community aid?
I am aware of the Deputy's constant and continuing interest in this matter. I have to accept in trust, without any qualification, that the Deputy has been pursuing the matter in the manner in which he said. I can only say from my own knowledge, nonetheless, that what I have said here is factually correct, that no official request has been received from the Nicaraguan authorities. That said, the Deputy will appreciate that in the special circumstances in which we find ourselves now I do not have the opportunity of consulting to clarify some of the points he makes. I will look into it but I want to assure him that our response, both bilaterally and particularly in this instance at European level, to the Nicaraguan need will be constant. I can only look into it. I am not aware of all the details the Deputy refers to.
I am grateful to the Minister for his response in a difficult situation. I would urge him when he reads the telex which I lodged with the Minister for Foreign Affairs formally on behalf of the Nicaraguan Ambassador in London, to note that the request for 3,500 tonnes of dried milk was not only for the reason I said in regard to foot and mouth disease but because it was necessary to strengthen milk used by school children and by elderly members of the population. On a number of occasions I have been asked what has happened to that and accepted in good faith the assurance that Ireland would meet this straightforward request to itself out of its Community commitment following the meeting of 29 February and 1 March. I am sure the Minister would agree with me that it is a matter of some concern that I am still not in a position to say whether we will be responding to this humanitarian request for children and old people.
I can only say that our disposition towards Nicaragua in this instance is a very positive one. I am not immediately aware, from my own knowledge as Minister, of all the points the Deputy mentions. I will make inquiries both in my own Department and in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs in the absence of the Minister and Tánaiste and I will communicate with the Deputy directly.
I would like to thank the Minister for his response as I have had some representations about this as a member of the parliamentary delegation that visited the country with Deputy Higgins last year. Is there anything the Minister can say specifically about the request for dried milk in view of the situation affecting school children and the elderly in that country? As well as Community aid, is there anything specifically that Ireland can do in regard to increasing the amount of dried milk?
Both Deputies and the House generally would acknowledge that the most effective action that can be taken, because of the scope and scale of the action, would be that taken by the European Community, in which action we are actively involved. We must press for continued and increased food aid programmes at that level. I can guarantee the Deputy that we will continue to do that and the extent of it seems to reflect the wishes of this House. I will also see what scope there would be for support nationally. I will just make one point: we ourselves no longer have quantities of skim milk powder in intervention. There is such a market demand for ours that we could sell twice as much as we already have. That said we will look to see how we can help in this.
Will the Minister indicate how he can say he is being pressed unduly on certain questions considering the fact that his Government cut back £12.5 million of the overseas development aid generally? To me he sounds hypocritical, for all his good intentions. Actions speak louder than words. In this instance his Government have reduced——
The Deputy is making a statement rather than seeking information.
I thank the Minister for the commitment he has given and I ask him if he would agree to bear in mind the fact that there is another special feature to the situation, the fact that the cow herd that has been slaughtered due to the Contra attacks has left a very young herd with weak milk which I am sure the Minister will appreciate as Minister for Agriculture and Food.