Vol. 443 No. 5
6 Mr. Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will be attending the conference on population and development in Cairo later this year; and the position on this issue which he or his delegation will present to the conference.
43 Mr. Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views and policy towards population assistance as a necessary component of Ireland's overseas development assistance; the proportion of our ODA that is currently assigned to population assistance programmes in developing countries; and if he proposes that this share should be increased in future years.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 43 together.
An International Conference on Population and Development will be held in Cairo on 5-13 September 1994 at which Ireland will be represented, almost certainly at ministerial level. A final decision on the composition of the delegation will be taken nearer the date of the conference.
The links between demographic factors and sustainable development are now accepted by all developed and developing countries, with many of the latter adopting population programmes which include family planning components. Population policy is essentially a national responsibility which should be supported by the international community.
It is our view that action in this area should be based on the principles of non-coercion and non-discrimination; that there should be respect for ethnic and cultural differences; and that all population programmes must respect the rights of individuals and couples to choose the number and spacing of their children.
The recent Preparatory Conference on Population and Development in New York made useful progress on a number of important issues. Agreement was reached on much of the language of the draft action plan that will be adopted in Cairo. A number of issues on which no agreement was possible will go to Cairo. These include levels of funding and reproductive health matters, including abortion.
I consider that population assistance is a necessary component of Ireland's overseas development assistance programme, having regard to the dramatic rate of population growth in developing countries, particularly in Africa. For this reason Ireland made a contribution for the first time in 1993 to the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, an organisation established by the United Nations to provide assistance in the field of population. This organisation runs extensive campaigns and assistance programmes in Africa, Asia and Latin America with developing countries which request its advice and assistance.
The contribution which we made to UNFPA in 1993 was £50,000. This was about 0.1 per cent of our total overseas development assistance in 1993. Our contribution to UNFPA will be increased to £150,000 this year.
The question of whether Ireland will become more directly involved in population issues is being considered in the context of the expansion of the bilateral aid programme over the next four years.
I am grateful for the Minister's reply as far as it goes. However, as world population is increasing by 0.25 million people every day and 90 per cent of that increase takes place in the Third World in the poorest of the developing countries, does the Minister agree that at least 4 per cent — this is a figure set down by many of the non-governmental organisations worldwide — of all official overseas development aid should now be targeted at population programmes? The Minister might have some difficulty with his Government partners because this means funding family planning in these countries as the rates of population growth in those countries far outstrip their ability to sustain them. Can the Minister give us a guarantee that, as part of our overseas development policy in the future, he will seek to reach a figure of 4 per cent of all overseas development aid going towards this area of population control?
I accept the Deputy's fears about rapid population growth. In sub-Saharan Africa the present population is expected to double by the year 2015 and that will put enormous pressure on resources. That was recognised at the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro in 1992 where it was agreed that all future development strategies must take account of demographic trends. I will not give the Deputy a guarantee on the percentage without giving it further examination, which I will do and come back to the Deputy. However, I assure the Deputy that there will be no difficulty in Government about assistance from our aid programme for family planning.
Let us proceed to other questions to the same Minister.
