Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 14 Jun 1995

Vol. 143 No. 17

Overseas Development Assistance: Motion.

Ms O'Sullivan

I move:

That Seanad Éireann notes that the total Government aid to the Third World will amount to £89 million in 1995, the equivalent of 0.27 per cent of GNP, which represents an increase of £19 million — 26 per cent — over the 1994 figure and welcomes the commitment of the Government to increase the level of Overseas Development Assistance to bring us on a par with our EU partners by 1997.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have pleasure in moving this motion on behalf of the Labour Party Senators and we fully accept and concur with the Fianna Fáil amendment.

There are targets which we hope to attain in relation to assistance for developing countries and although they have not yet been reached, the 26 per cent increase this year is a big step forward. I hope we will continue on this path in the next few years so that the target involving the percentage of GNP for the developing world will be attained.

The Irish people have proved themselves particularly understanding of the problems of developing nations. They have also been particularly generous in donating in a private capacity to a variety of charities and causes relating to countries which are in much worse financial situations than Ireland. These countries have suffered many crises and are underdeveloped, but there is no need to spell out that point.

In many ways Ireland is ideally suited to development aid and work. We have a historical understanding of what it is like to endure serious problems. We suffered during the great famine and we experienced many other problems over the centuries. We are not threatening to many countries in the way that other countries with colonial pasts might be threatening. We can, therefore, sometimes play a role that other European countries are unable to play. We can probably go to and be welcome in most places in the world and give whatever assistance possible, whether personal, in the form of people with expertise, or financial.

The money in this budget is spent in a variety of ways. The majority goes in bilateral aid to a number of different countries. Certain places, mainly in Africa, have been prioritised this year, including Lesotho, Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda. These countries will be assisted in a number of ways, mainly through co-funding and support for various programmes identified by the Governments there. For example, assistance will be given in election monitoring and the promotion of human rights, including the establishment of a human rights unit in the political division of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Another part of the budget goes to APSO, the Agency for Personal Service Overseas. There is a target to increase the number of places this year to 1,250. APSO provides a way in which individuals can go and work in developing countries. They can make their personal input with the support of the Government and they work mainly through agencies and Governments in those countries.

Another part of the budget goes to emergency humanitarian aid. This area probably receives the most attention and involves responses to crises, of which there have been many in recent years and most recently in Rwanda. This aid is given mainly to our agencies, such as Concern, Trócaire and Goal, and also to international agencies, such as the Red Cross and other UN bodies, including UNICEF.

A fourth part of the budget caters for refugees who come to Ireland. The money is spent in a variety of ways and also includes work on multilateral programmes. These are projects we work on in conjunction with other agencies and countries through the EU and the United Nations and its agencies. A wide variety of aspects are involved in helping these countries in practical ways. Ireland's record is second to none in terms of our commitment and the generosity of ordinary people in supporting developing countries.

Developing countries have many problems, such as natural disasters, extremes of climates and political instability; these are in addition to the general problems of underdevelopment. This means that they have not reached the developmental stages of other countries and they need assistance from outside. However, one of the major problems facing many these countries is huge debt, either to the World Bank, the IMF or various other outside agencies. This problem must be addressed and Ireland should encourage a global response in whatever way possible.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs produced a report last April on Third World debt with particular reference to the role of the IMF and the World Bank. Some of the statistics contained in the report are quite shocking. It states that the pressure to prioritise debt repayment has had devastating effects on the lives of people across southern countries and their environment, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It makes the point that Third World Governments spend 50 per cent more on debt servicing than on health and education combined. This is a shocking statistic.

The report also states that debt servicing takes priority over food security and that often the best land is used for cash exports. The most indebted countries are those which are deforesting fastest to increase exports and to earn foreign exchange for debt repayment. The most shocking is a UNICEF figure, which states that 0.5 million children die each year as a result of the debt crisis. The report also states that women in developing countries pay the highest price for the debt crisis with their time, energy and health in the labour force, on the farm, in the home and in the community.

In terms of funding by Government or by agencies, the most important thing we can do is to act as some type of conscience, motivater and catalyst in relation to the debt crisis. This must be addressed globally. Countries with these huge debt problems must be assisted, whether in reorganising the payments or in having some of it written off, which is essential. Some type of global package must be devised whereby human needs are put before the debt payment. This recommendation is contained in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs' report. This matter must be the majority priority, but priority must also be given to the funding through our aid and agencies.

I pay tribute to the personnel in Concern, Trócaire, Goal and the many other smaller organisations working in Third World countries. I have a particular knowledge of Concern, which has been there since the beginning. It first went to countries in crisis such as Bangladesh and Ethiopia and later to other areas. It stayed and, after providing initial humanitarian aid, carried out real development work on the ground. It has aimed to work itself out of a job in particular areas by training local people in education, health and employment projects and building bridges, dams and wells.

A small number of people, in comparison to the populations of these countries, have made a huge difference and the work of our development agencies in these areas is acknowledged across the world. Their work has far outweighed their numbers on the ground. The level of commitment on the part of the personnel of these bodies cannot be overestimated. In a variety of countries, they have set up self perpetuating projects, whether in employment, hospitals, etc, which have made a real difference. They have not just touched the surface; they have tried to deal with the real problems on the ground.

We should listen to the people from those agencies and to their experiences in the countries in which they work because sometimes there are facile and simplistic solutions proposed to the problems of developing countries. The solutions are never facile and simplistic. By trying to understand the problems and trying to play the particular role that we with our history and commitment can play, Ireland has a role in Third World development that is beyond the size of our population. In proposing the motion, I am sure I will have the support of the House. It is not a contentious motion but it is important to put on record that we are making significant progress in terms of reaching the goals we have set ourselves to assist developing countries. I sincerely hope that any financial considerations in this country would not interfere in any way with our commitment to aid for developing countries because that has to be a major priority. Any problems we have in Ireland are nothing to the problems of the countries we are dealing with in this motion.

Mr. Calnan

I welcome the opportunity to second the motion. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Burton, to the House and thank her for the work she is doing in this field. She has practical knowledge, having experience in the Third World already. People like her can be of tremendous benefit when in Government, having the experience of work in the Third World behind them.

When I was teaching geography in school, myself and the children had a stark reminder of what goes on in the Third World. I remember that one day I asked the pupils to list some of the facilities they had in their own homes. They started off, first of all, with the television and then came things like the fridge, the washing machine and so on. They were surprised when I told them that they were leaving out some of the important ones. The first thing I mentioned to them was water. They had all taken water for granted — nobody listed water in the list they gave me. A second thing they did not mention was food. They were talking about things like the washing machine, the television, the radio, the record player, the carpet cleaner, etc. but there was no mention of the two essentials. The pupils became aware that to have a proper water supply in a Third World country is important for the people and I am talking about having it only near at hand, not having it on tap. When I brought this to their notice, when they saw, in the text book and on a slide, people walking with jugs on their heads, dragging pails and so on, and when I told them that people had to travel 20 miles for water every day — some of these pupils had come to school on the bus that morning — they began to realise the importance of water for these people. If the aid that our Government is giving is helping to provide a water supply or a well, it is doing a terrific job.

There were other things that I mentioned to my pupils in the course of our discussion and one of them was the average income of people in these countries. I mentioned $300 per annum as an average income, which is a real figure for some of these people. As Senators know, averages are dangerous because for every person that might have an income of $1,000 there could be many others with an income only $10. Sometimes money is not used at all in these countries but instead they use barter and exchange.

Another thing I referred to was the absence of light. We can enter a room, turn a switch and a light comes on. These people have to live from dawn to dusk, because otherwise there is no light in poor countries. These are points I felt were important to bring home to young people living in a developed country like our own to make them aware of the hardships that are suffered by people in the Third World. Moneys coming from the Government, however small or large, will be put to terrific use in schemes in Third World countries by raising the standard of living there.

Young people talk about going on holiday, perhaps to the next county or the seaside, but when they find out that young people in Third World countries never have an opportunity of even half a day like that, it makes them think. Through educational programmes in the schools, on television and otherwise, young people can be awakened to the need and respond by taking up collections locally, having a flag day or running a marathon. Often it is only when tragedies such as that in Rwanda are highlighted on television that people start waking up.

The importance of aid needs no comment, whether it is bilateral, multilateral or through NGOs. Bilateral aid, with a country such as Ireland giving assistance to places like Lesotho or any of the other countries mentioned, is good because it results in a greater degree of contact, whereas sometimes with multilateral aid, with organisations like the United Nations or the European Union giving assistance to the Third World, the individuality can be lost. I would like to support the tabled amendment on the non-Governmental organisations and the tremendous work they do, because it is only all three forms of aid combined that will make conditions in the Third World countries better through interrelationships and joint ventures. An engineer going to a foreign country may be working under the Agency for Personal Service Overseas building a dam in an area so that there will be water all the year round in what may be a semidesert region. The effect that will have on the lives of the people, animals and crops is tremendous. If we can keep our shoulder to the wheel in a developing country like Ireland and increase moneys over a period of time to bring our contribution, as the Government has promised, in line with our European partners by 1997, we will have done a good day's work.

Mr. Daly

I move amendment No. 1:

After "by 1997" to add:

"; and recognises and appreciates the work of the dedicated volunteers of the non-governmental organisations such as Goal, Concern and Trócaire, and of the Irish missionaries in their efforts on behalf of the people of the Third World."

I thank the Government for accepting the amendment which is necessary to put on the record this House's appreciation of the work of the non-governmental organisations, their dedicated volunteers, missionaries and others who have been involved in this area for many years.

A recent article in Choices, a magazine published by the United Nations Development Programme, stated:

The time has come to give all people — men and women, young and old, sick and healthy, rich and poor — the chance to live long. productive and dignified lives... eliminating poverty, ensuring livelihoods for all, confronting the root cause of social disintegration, are challenges that look as daunting today as the abolition of slavery did a century and a half ago. Yet slavery has been outlawed and largely eradicated from the face of the earth. Why then should it not be possible to muster the necessary political will and resources to achieve social progress and the betterment of the human condition now and into the 21st century? It is within our power to end the worst aspects of human deprivation. We have no choice but to act.

That quotation sums up in a very striking way the urgent necessity for a global partnership arrangement internationally and locally to tackle the daunting problems which are threatening the developing world at present.

Over the past few years since we got our own finances in order, a genuine effort has been made by successive Governments to remedy the shortcomings which were apparent in Ireland's official development programme. Last year we were third from the bottom of the OECD list and just approaching the OECD average. While there is cause to welcome the improvement that has taken place, there is, nevertheless, a long way to go to reach the target of 0.7 per cent of GNP set down by the United Nations. I reiterate the view expressed by Senator O'Sullivan that in any review of Government expenditure the greatest care must be taken not to damage that progress. We must ensure not only continued support for the overseas development aid programme but also an acceleration of it to reach the UN aid target more speedily.

A few years ago, as Minister of State with responsibility for overseas aid, I initiated meetings with aid agencies which have been continued by my successors as Ministers of State, Deputy Tom Kitt and Deputy Burton. These meetings are aimed at organising a partnership response from all these organisations with the State to ensure that we get the best return for the resources we are spending. They are also aimed at having an input from such agencies into the formulation of Government programmes, something they have sought for many years. A formula has now been put in place involving regular meetings between the aid agencies, the non-governmental agencies, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Minister.

No words of mine can describe adequately the cloud of despair that envelops the developing countries. To fully understand the poverty, deprivation and need that exists there one needs to physically experience it. I had the opportunity to visit the poorest of the poor in Tanzania, Lesotho and Zambia during my time as Minister of State with responsibility for overseas aid. One would be overcome by despair and hopelessness were it not for the fact that in each area there were many people of great commitment working diligently day and night to find solutions to the problems. They included local community leaders and others from community organisations, non-governmental agencies. Government agencies and Departments as well as international agencies like the UN and the EU.

A new developing partnership arose along with a visible willingness by thousands of people to work diligently to find solutions to these problems. Over the years, many people have tragically lost their lives while engaged in overseas development work. Such volunteers daily put their lives at risk in the developing countries.

This year, total Government expenditure — which includes budgets for a number of Departments — is about £90 million, but it is well short of the UN target so there must be no let up in the Government's commitment. The developing countries already contain three-quarters of humanity and will soon be home to nine people out of every ten on earth. Despite this, a very small fraction of GNP is spent in the developing world and, in addition, a very small percentage of the world's scientists, technologists, engineers and other professionals work in these countries.

The Third World's huge debts have already been well documented by the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and have been outlined here by Senator O'Sullivan. The world's population is now nearly six billion and will be increasing by about one billion every ten years. The main part of this population increase is taking place in the developing countries.

Hardship, deprivation, malnutrition and disease have put enormous tensions on many developing democracies resulting in conflict. In many places poverty has been exacerbated by civil war. This is evident at present in the Sudan where a civil war has been going on relatively unnoticed by the international community. In Nicaragua, 45,000 people died in the civil war which lasted ten years.

As Senator O'Sullivan said, the less well off sections of the community are hit hardest in such situations. According to World Health Organisation figures. 500 million women suffer from reproductive tract infections and every year half a million women die from pregnancy-related diseases; some 99 per cent of these are in the developing world. An international effort must now be made to resolve these problems by refocusing world attention on economic methods to help the poorer countries.

When I met the President of Tanzania he made the point very plainly that if his country could gain access to Community markets for some of their produce, many of Tanzania's problems could be resolved.

Budgets must be focused on eradicating poverty and productive opportunities must be provided for people. Poor nations must have the opportunity to develop trade, technology and information as well as attracting investment. They must also be helped to reduce their burgeoning debt levels.

On behalf of my colleagues in Fianna Fáil I am glad to propose this amendment.

Mr. Farrell

Ba mhaith liom cuidiú leis an leasú seo. We sometimes forget the noble work that is done by the many voluntary organisations whose members go out to work in Third World countries. I wish to pay special tribute to our missionaries — our priests, nuns and brothers — who work in those countries. It is fashionable to attack them in this country at present. However, in years gone by they were the people who provided education and health care in this country, long before the State could afford to do so. They are doing the same now in Third World countries. When I see organisations objecting and marching on behalf of animals' rights and so forth I often think it is a great pity they would not go to those Third World countries and use their energies and abilities to help the people there.

I spent two weeks in Mozambique this year. Regardless of what one sees on television or reads in the newspapers, one must go on site to appreciate the poverty of those countries and the conditions in which people live. I am delighted that Mozambique has been added to the list of Third World countries that will receive aid. Mozambique has experienced over 20 years of civil war. There are millions of landmines in the ground and we do not know when the last one will be detonated. One cannot leave the dirt tracks. Hospital and health facilities are terrible.

At one station we visited we were told that a lady had fallen ill overnight. We took her to a little hospital that was nothing more than a shed. Inside was an old stretcher and a sheet that was little more than a pocket handkerchief. The lady suffered a miscarriage. When we returned that night she was on her way home. We brought her two or three miles of the way before she had to walk into the bush, carrying her little pile of belongings on her head. She had to make that journey after suffering a miscarriage and having been seriously ill the night before. I gave her a flashlight and I can still see its small light going through the bushes. "My God", I said, "when I think of the services we have in Ireland and people complain about them and then see what people suffer in these countries".

For four days I lived on coconut juice because we could not drink the water. Yet, in the mornings we saw people getting water from what we would consider an old swamp hole. The people carried that water for miles. There was a little chapel made from twigs and branches where Mass was said on Sundays. There was no seating and people had to kneel on the sandy soil. We visited a town as large as Kinnegad and we were instructed to stay at a hotel there. We stayed in a tent because the hotel had no running water or sewerage. One would see better beds thrown on dumps here. This was a hotel but there were no facilities.

Mozambique is a poor country and it is only when one visits it that one appreciates the work of Concern, Goal, Trocaire and the missionaries. I appeal for more people to give of their time and go there. We have many unemployed in this country and it would be a great exercise for many of them to go there to do a month or two months voluntary work. Then they would see the other side of life.

I pay special tribute to the people who do not go to the Third World but who collect at home for medicines, clothes, food and other supplies to be sent there. I particularly pay tribute to the lorry and van drivers who go to these war torn countries. They are taking their lives in their hands because there is black marketeering and racketeering everywhere. Often the aim of the black marketeers and the racketeers is to ambush the trucks, take the food and sell it at a profit thus preventing it reaching the people who really need it. The drivers go through great hardship and turmoil, enduring days and nights without sleep in order to guard their cargoes. They deserve great praise. We do not really think about what they do. We tend to think they are going on a holiday. However, it is far from a holiday — they suffer a great deal.

Debt is like a thief for many countries, including our own. Third World debt is escalating at an alarming rate and some effort should be made to deal with it. All countries could come together and organise some form of amnesty or write-off of much of that debt. Third World countries will never be able to pay off the debts. We should at least put the debts on the long finger for about 25 or 30 years and perhaps when the countries develop they will be able to clear them. It is grossly unfair to expect poor countries to clear a debt with the money they should be using to till their land, produce crops, increase living standards and build schools.

I visited schools in Mozambique. Children sat out in the open or sometimes under a shelter. There were no blackboards or chalk. Teaching was oral because there was nothing on which to write. I brought a pile of pencils and pens and they were like manna from heaven to the children. We do not realise how things are there. I also brought plenty of sweets. The children did not know what a sweet was. I had to eat a sweet first to show them. It was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces when they ate Smarties. It is only when one sees the children crowding around for the sweets that one realises the poverty and hardship in those countries. It is sad. I would love to go back again and do a few weeks voluntary work. They are very nice people. We should do all we can.

I realise that this Government and previous Governments have done a great deal but we are doing little compared to the voluntary organisations. No money would pay them for their work, time and effort. God bless their work. I hope they will continue. I also hope that more people will realise, as a result of this debate, that we have a great contribution to make in order to help Third World countries.

Mrs. Taylor-Quinn

I support the motion and the amendment proposed by Senator Daly on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group. It is good to be able to commend the Government for increasing aid and for aspiring to increase it further and bring it on par with our EU partners by 1997. The fact is that we are rich in expertise and poor in resources so it is commendable to aspire to making such an increase. I hope we will achieve our target by 1997.

We have a tradition of providing expertise to developing countries. Indeed, our record in that area is laudable and is recognised worldwide. The increase in our voluntary contribution is welcome. It is interesting and useful to analyse the nature of our aid in comparison with that of other countries. Our aid is disinterested: usually there are no specific conditions or ties attached to it. That gives agencies, particularly in the case of bilateral aid, the freedom to use the aid in the best interests of the communities involved. Many countries that contribute to overseas development aid attach conditions. In many instances, it is linked to investment in products from the donor country and that is not necessarily in the best interest of the developing countries concerned. In other instances, for example, US aid, it might be tied to military interests. That is the reality although it might not be the most commendable reality. There is often a strategic reason for the investment of aid.

We did quite well during the 1980s in increasing our ODA contributions. Unfortunately from 1989 onwards, the figures, as a percentage of GNP, began to decrease. It is highly commendable that the figure is beginning to increase again and has been increasing for some years.

Our ODA policy includes a commitment to increase bilateral aid. About one third of aid is bilateral while the remaining two thirds is multilateral. It is important that we focus on ensuring an increase in bilateral aid because it is important to work closely with the communities involved in the developing countries. It is also important to do sufficient research before making the investment because throwing money at a community or a project is not necessarily the best thing. It is important to assess the absorption factor of that community or project. It is important to conduct the necessary research to ensure that what is spent is to the best possible advantage. In some instances this may necessitate much work and expertise from a variety of areas, including the teaching, medical, accounting and construction professions.

It is important that developing communities have built-in expertise in addition to that of the NGOs. Governments, particularly our Government, should focus on ensuring that the local indigenous community can continue to sustain development once the ODA assistance ceases or is reduced. Anything we do should be centred around the dignity of the people concerned. It should build on the dignity, inherent intelligence, traditions and basic abilities of the people and provide them with the necessary skill to sustain their development subsequently.

This country has a proud tradition of major international contribution. It is true to say that, of all contributing countries and as a percentage of OECD, Ireland has the largest percentage of NGOs and that is highly commendable. That tradition goes back a long time and predates organisations such as Trócaire, Concern, Gorta and Goal. Religious missionaries went out to developing countries and provided education, medical and hospital care. We have a fine tradition in that area. In recent decades these organisations have developed and the NGOs have done tremendous work.

The particular advantage of these organisations is that they can move into an area and respond to an immediate crisis. We have seen repeatedly in recent years how successfully they have done that. We have equally seen how the Irish Government has responded by immediately making substantial financial contributions to some of these organisations and directly to some of the countries. That is highly commendable and will hopefully continue in the future.

At a time when there is talk within Government of reducing spending in a variety of areas, the Irish people would not appreciate this country reducing its contribution to ODA. There is inherent in every Irish person the will to contribute to the under privileged and deprived. When major international disasters have occurred and a call has come indirectly to the community, we make the highest personal contributions in proportion to our population. I hope the Government will not make any cutbacks in this area because it should be above such consideration. One is dealing with the dignity of the human person and respect for people. This should be recognised and fully appreciated in every way possible, including financially.

I hope there is not any attempt to make cutbacks in this area. I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Burton, on the work she has done since she took over responsibility for this area. She has directly examined a number of areas at first hand and is doing a fine job in the area of ODA. I wish her success with her work in the future.

Dr. Henry

I support the Government motion and I also support the amendment proposed by the Fianna Fáil Party. I regret the fact that the Irish Red Cross was not mentioned as one of the groups which has done such tremendous work abroad. The Irish Red Cross is part of the largest humanitarian organisation in the world. I would like to have seen it identified, but I suppose that is bias on my part. When Senator Daly was in charge of this area, he gave great support and help to the Irish Red Cross. I remember him joining me at Shannon to see off plane loads of goods to the earthquake area in Armenia.

When discussing overseas aid, does the Oireachtas take enough account of long term programmes in various countries? Do we ensure our aid is focused on long term development? I attended the international medical parliamentarians meeting before the Cairo Conference. Much of the conference addressed problems relating to development and poverty in the Third World which obviously require long term planning. I sometimes wonder if we put enough effort into thinking where best money could be directed rather than spending it on short term projects, worthy though they are, following both manmade and natural disasters. We should give a little more thought to long term planning.

The conference in Cairo on population and development has started to produce reports. I recently received one which deals with the main issues of the conference. It was decided that two of the most important topics which would affect both population and development in under developed countries were clean water and the education of women. Any clean water projects must be set up on a long term basis and require an incredible amount of planning, but they constitute one of the most important facilities any nation can have. My good friend, Dr. Kadar Asmal, has drawn the short straw in the South African Parliament because he has to deal with this incredibly difficult problem. Even in a country with the riches and advantages of South Africa, it will be difficult just to bring clean water to the townships.

When we send aid abroad we should specify major projects which should be helped in certain countries and send out experts if necessary. We have done this on occasion. We are fortunate in this country to have a large number of people with technical and professional expertise who are prepared to serve abroad, as indeed the Minister of State did herself. We should focus more on long term efforts rather than on short term ones, which are worthy and which catch the headlines for a certain length of time. Although the initial problem is dealt, long term problems remain as bad as in the beginning.

We should make greater efforts as regards women. Delegates from this country are to go to the UN Conference on Women in Beijing. I hope they will put forward our hopes for the improvement in the status of women in many Third World countries, because their efforts at an economic level can be of far more importance to the life of their family and their society than any dams or factories which may be built. I remember someone said it would be better to send hoes rather than tractors because if we send tractors spare parts will be needed and the project collapses. We should focus on the need to educate women, to give them economic opportunities, to ensure that they get credit to start small businesses and to ensure that they are not discriminated against as regards schooling. Of the millions of illiterate people throughout the world, I believe 70 per cent are women. A greater proportion of female children do not get primary schooling. Given the importance of the education of women to the health of their families and to the economy on a small scale, we should put thought and time into this area and promote it at international level when going to conferences like that in Beijing.

We must also look at the area of reproductive health in Third World countries. This was firmly addressed at the Cairo Conference. There is an invidious situation in that countries with highest neonatal death rate, infant morality rate and death rate of children under five years are those with the greatest poverty. At the same time such countries have the highest fertility rate which means that women are constantly child bearing or else they are involved in the care of small children. Most children in the Third World do not die from malnutrition but from disease. Healthy children can survive for a long time in disaster areas. It was interesting to see that after the recent earthquake in Sakhalin small children recovered after five days without food and water. In countries with a considerable amount of disease where children are constantly in a state of ill-health, they naturally succumb quickly to any adverse situation.

Our greatest advantage, which is underlined by the amendment to the motion, is that there is strong co-operation between the non-governmental organisations and the Government. While they receive financial backing, they also receive the support of the people, which is always useful. I am constantly astonished that so many firms give people, sometimes in key positions, leave of absence for a year or two to serve abroad and they are not praised often enough. For example, when the Red Cross needed drivers, Telecom Éireann and the ESB provided them at once.

As regards refugees, we do not look at internal migration caused by disruption and which may result in some people needing refugee status in other countries. I hope the Minister will make this part of her brief. We can sit comfortably here and praise the aid workers, but I hope this Government will look at things on a larger scale.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Ms Burton)

I welcome this motion and the amendment. I pay tribute to many Members who have contributed in different ways both in terms of Oireachtas committees and by their work and visits to developing countries, not only as election monitors but to see various elements of the programme. A number of Members from both Houses are currently on a visit to Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda to look first hand at the Irish programme.

As a Labour Minister, it gives me particular pleasure to say that since the Labour Party has participated in Government there has been a substantial increase in overseas development assistance since 1993. This year, as in 1993 and 1994, substantial extra funding has been made available for developing countries and I know that has been widely welcomed. I am sure that there will be widespread support for the continuation of this trend in the coming years. Total Government spending on ODA this year will amount to approximately £89 million. This represents an increase of approximately £19 million over last year and more than double what was spent in 1992. In allocating this record level of expenditure the Government is delivering on the promise to raise Ireland's official development assistance to the kind of level which our European partners allocate and to make steady progress towards the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on official development assistance. This year's increase sets us well on the way towards achieving that target.

In the years prior to 1993 Ireland's record had no been so good. For some time we had been at the bottom of the OECD league table and our performance was the subject of criticism both at home and abroad. However, our position is steadily improving. Last year we were third from the bottom of the OECD list and this year will come closer to the OECD average. It is heartening to see that we are gradually making our way up the table of donors to developing countries.

The increases in ODA mean that the budget allocated for this purpose is now substantial. It is of course very gratifying for me to be Minister of State at this time when the funding is on an upward curve. But this in turn puts special responsibilities on me and my Department to ensure that all of the money allocated to ODA is well spent and fully accounted for. Irish people support more assistance for developing countries and it is incumbent on us to ensure that the highest standards of accountability are maintained.

Members of the House may wish to know that the OECD carried out one of its regular reviews of the Irish aid programme last autumn. The report, which has now been published, indicated that the OECD was very satisfied with what it found. This of course should not lead us to relax but rather encourage us to continue to ensure that only worthwhile projects are undertaken, that they bring real benefits to the recipients and that all spending is monitored and accounted for. Last week, when I discussed the Estimates with the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, I mentioned this as one of my primary concerns. This applies to the aid programme itself but it also applies to those organisations with whom we work in partnership. We are now channelling, correctly I believe, substantial sums of public money through NGOs such as Concern, Goal and Trócaire and through international agencies such as UNICEF and the World Bank and the European Union. I intend to insist on the highest standards of accountability in all of our partner organisations, whichever category they fall into.

The grant-in-aid budget for bilateral aid at £39.2 million marks an increase of 59 per cent over 1994. The bilateral aid programme is the principal channel through which long term assistance to developing countries is dispersed. As Senator Henry stated, we must invest in development on a long term basis. There are no quick fixes. The bulk of this money — almost £20 million — will go to projects in the six priority countries for Irish aid. The long established ones are Lesotho, Zambia, Sudan and Tanzania. In 1994 Ethiopia and Uganda were added to this list. This year it is planned that Mozambique will become the seventh priority country. As well as carrying out intensive activity in priority countries, increased funding means that we can fund development projects in countries such as South Africa and Zimbabwe, both of which are targeted for large increases this year. We are also assisting the Palestinian Territories, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh.

This year, for the first time, we are making provision for rehabilitation assistance, that is, aid that helps countries to recover from wars and disasters in the stage before long term development comes into action. The clearest example at the moment would be the efforts to constitute and reconstitute a civil society in Rwanda in the aftermath of the genocide which took place last year, and the almost total destruction of that country's infrastructure. Long-term development cannot be discussed in the aftermath of such a disaster. We can only talk about rehabilitation followed by long term development. I believe we cannot stand aloof from the challenge of building peace with justice in such countries even though it will involve us grappling with many difficult problems. Countries which are scheduled to receive rehabilitation assistance this year include Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia and the former Yugoslavia.

Ireland's aid programme has always attached fundamental importance to assisting the poorer developing countries. Our programme is designed to meet basic needs such as primary health care, education and clean water supply. With the growth of resources available under our aid programme we are also in a position to further develop areas such as our fund for co-financing of aid projects with non-governmental organisations. This is the fund used to give once-off grants, usually of a relatively modest size, to missionary orders and NGOs for projects such as building additional school classrooms and community centres, drilling wells or equipping clinics. For example, I recently spoke to a sister working in Tanzania regarding her need for a modest amount of money to buy microscopes and a number of incubators for the rural hospital where she works. This kind of assistance, which is small in scale but which meets very specific needs, is extremely attractive. Another basic principle of the programme is to assist these countries in their efforts to attain long term sustainable development. The increase in resources in our aid programme has enabled us to consolidate and expand the reach of Irish aid assistance through this fund to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and to target aid in Asian countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam.

It is very clear that the role of Irish NGOs in the developing world has become especially important over the last number of years. This is reflected in the increased number of NGO activities in developing countries and in the fact that their contribution to development co-operation now extends to areas in which NGOs have not traditionally been involved, such as electoral observation, human rights monitoring, environment, population and particularly the role of women. Irish NGOs have an impressive track record, not only in areas such as emergency humanitarian assistance which the media tends to concentrate on, but they are also involved in rehabilitation and long term development projects. Irish public support for humanitarian NGOs has never been greater as evidenced by the extent of their role in crises. The reputation for the dedication, courage and compassion of Irish aid workers and missionaries is known worldwide. Many work in difficult and even dangerous situations. We all need to be conscious of the risks that are taken. The safety of NGO and missionary personnel, a number of whom have given their lives in recent years, working in crisis zones is always of concern to the Government who will continue to work closely with the UN and international agencies to ensure they are protected as far as possible.

The Government is very aware, and deeply appreciative, of the work of the NGOs and missionaries who are also active in the much more mundane but equally important field of long term development. The Government's relationship with NGOs is characterised by the notion of dialogue and partnership. The work of the NGOs complements Irish aid programmes in many areas, both within and outside the priority countries. The 1995 allocation for the NGO co-financing scheme is £4.3 million. If there are savings elsewhere in the programme by the end of the year, I will ensure that additional money goes to this scheme. I would also like to achieve a greater awareness of the scheme and that those doing such work with the missionary orders in Africa, Asia and South America know that the NGO scheme exists and is available to fund worthwhile projects which meet certain criteria. The new information officer, who will assume duty next month, will be asked to give priority to this area.

The Government is committed to maximising the number of Irish aid workers overseas. The Agency for Personal Service Overseas — APSO — is the State-sponsored body responsible for the recruitment and training of Irish personnel in the developing world. The Government has increased funding to APSO since 1992 and has provided an increase in funding of 21 per cent in 1995. This is in line with the target of substantially increasing the number of APSO workers in the developing world. The ambition to increase the numbers of Irish development workers will not be at the expense of the quality of the projects they undertake. It is a priority for APSO to identify skilled personnel who meet real needs and who can contribute to capacity building in the countries where we work in partnership. The ultimate goal has to be to develop local capacity. It is interesting to consider the education sector where traditionally Irish teachers have been taking classes. However, in the future, as local people become available, our role will gradually shift to advising curriculum development, for example, helping with teacher training, resourcing language skills and mathematics, where the Irish primary school curriculum is particularly admired. Our role in education will continue but with a change of emphasis, as a resource assistance rather than replacing local capacity in any sense which is increasingly available.

Unfortunately there is an ever present demand for emergency humanitarian funding. This funding is provided for relief operations to alleviate the effects of natural disasters, conflicts, famine and drought. Humanitarian assistance is classically targeted at refugees and displaced people. The demand for emergency assistance has grown in recent years with the increasing number of disasters in the world today, both natural and man-made. The amount allocated for emergency humanitarian assistance is £5 million, a figure which takes account of emergencies arising. The allocation last year was £4 million, although additional funding had to be allocated during 1994 due to the crisis in Rwanda. This is the reason we spent some £5.8 million last year under this heading.

All the priority countries for Irish aid are parties to the Lomé Convention between the EU and the developing countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. I am aware, from contacts with Ministers and others in our priority countries, how important is the help provided by the EU to their development. The EU is now the world's largest donor of development aid when EU assistance and the assistance provided by the 15 member states are aggregated. When considered in that context, this indicates a powerful and leading position for the Union in this area. The Union is committed to providing 12,000 million ECU under the first five years of the Fourth Convention.

Ireland's share of contributions to the funding mechanism under the convention, the European Development Fund, amounts to £7.8 million in 1995. The amount fluctuates from year to year. Members will be aware that an eighth round of funding is currently under negotiation in Brussels. Ireland supported the French Presidency in their request to substantially expand the amount in the eighth round. Unfortunately, not all member states have yet been in a position to agree to this but I hope there will be some movement shortly. Just as we measure the EU in terms of its response to the disadvantaged and excluded in Europe, so also we measure it in relation to its response to some of the poorest people in the world.

Viewed from the perspective of the needs of developing countries, the EU is the single most important source of development assistance. When we look at it this way, it is necessary that we address the question of the EU's effective delivery of aid, whether it is in emergency situations or over the long term, both in the run-up to our Presidency and during it. I hope to organise an initiative this autumn in the area of food aid and food security, which remain major areas of concern for the developing world and where the EU plays a major role. This matter was raised again and again by a whole range of organisations in their submissions on the proposed White Paper.

Another area which merits particular attention is that of Africa generally, because sometimes Africa is in danger of slipping off the world agenda because of the focus on developments in Eastern Europe and because the scale of the problems in Africa appear to be so vast and increasing so rapidly that it is not possible to cope. I think this is wrong and during our Presidency, given our traditional links with Africa, we should seek to have the EU look at its relationship with sub-Saharan Africa in particular.

We are increasing our voluntary contributions to the UN development agencies from £4.5 million in 1994 to £5.5 million this year. I know concerns have been expressed regarding the effectiveness and accountability of some of these agencies. However, the activities of agencies such as UNICEF, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UNDP are central to the UN's activities in the field of development co-operation. It should be borne in mind that our contributions to and involvement with these UN agencies enable our aid programme to reach a far greater number of people in the developing world than would otherwise be possible. We propose to continue to play our full part in the ongoing UN reform process aimed at improving the effectiveness and accountability of these agencies. It is intended that the subject of our role in this process will be addressed in the forthcoming White Paper on foreign policy.

We must not underestimate the challenges facing us in our relationship with the developing world and we must continue to play our role in resolving crises and conflicts and promoting sustainable development. We must continue to provide increased levels of aid and promote support for human rights while ensuring that aid is used to support those rights, alleviate basic needs and promote the ability of people in developing countries to help themselves.

Other countries have taken notice of the fact that Irish official development aid is being expanded substantially and they have reacted very positively. Our standing with the people in the countries we assist has been greatly enhanced; they know we are expressing a practical solidarity with them. We are doing this as a country which has itself comparatively recently emerged from a process of development. Sometimes our rapport with developing countries is put down to the absence of our having been a colonial power. In many ways it comes from the involvement of our missionaries over a long period in sustainable development.

The interest which many developing countries have in using some elements of our institutions and work as a model is because they are aware of the fact that we have come through an enormous process of development in the last three decades in particular. They can see institutions in Ireland which have undergone the kind of growth, reform and expansion which they would like to see their own institutions undergo.

The quality of Irish aid is expressed in the quality of Irish people who work as volunteers, technical experts and missionaries throughout the world. The role members of the Defence Forces and the Garda Síochána have played in a number of UN missions has been continuously remarked on to me at the highest levels in the UN. They have brought certain particular qualities of peaceful dispute resolution to the conflicts in which they have been involved in a peace-keeping role. These qualities are unique and highly appreciated and valued. In that context I am happy that the Army is currently running in the Curragh the first school on peace-keeping, with participants from all over the world.

I know, as Senator Taylor-Quinn said, a reassessment and re-examination of budgets is currently taking place. However, I believe our contribution to overseas development assistance is giving us increasingly a voice at international level and is leading to the participation of Irish people in many international fora and in many different countries. Although we may not seek a material return, there is a very rich return for the country.

Mr. Lanigan

I welcome this motion and am glad the Government has agreed to support the amendment. Senator Henry said the Irish Red Cross Society should have been referred to in the amendment. I do not think anybody would have any difficulty with this. However, the motion refers to NGOs. The Irish Red Cross Society is not an NGO, but was set up on a statutory basis whereas NGOs are voluntary bodies. There is this difference, but I do not think anybody would quibble about including a reference to the society in the motion or the amendment. If I proposed this, would you second it?

Dr. Henry

I would.

Mr. Lanigan

Overseas development aid has become a major part of our involvement in countries which are at the bottom of the league in terms of their ability to fend for themselves. I have had the privilege, if one could call it that, of attending the summit on development in Copenhagen, but I had mixed feelings coming away from it. The overseas development aid programme which the Danish Government introduced last year was for £17 million. It spent £11 million of this on the organisation of the summit, which was a nonsense. It is reckoned Denmark benefited to the extent of about $500 for each delegate which attended the summit. If the money had been spent on development, a great deal more benefit would have been gained from the conference.

World leaders attended the plenary sessions, made beautiful noises for 20 minutes and then boarded their executive jets to return home. However, numerous parts of the conference were good, but these tended to be organised by NGOs. Participants from these organisations were in a separate building from where the plenary sessions were held and there was an opportunity for people from all over the world, particularly the developing world, to get together to discuss their problems. In workshops they had the opportunity to discuss the problems encountered in the Third World.

I am glad overseas development aid is rising and been doing so for the past number of years. In a recent audit we emerged with flying colours. This is an indication that the moneys we provide for aid are being used in a positive way and this has to be admired. Too often a number of the wealthier NGOs are using aid as a political ploy. Overseas aid is now as much a part of the international political scene as the sale of arms or the political structure. It has been a major source of political mishandling and misuse in a lot of cases and there are major players in overseas aid from the bigger countries, particularly America, who misuse the huge amounts of money donated in ways that are of no benefit to the recipients.

I am delighted that we are extending our list of priority countries for overseas development assistance. I see that we will treat Mozambique, Ethiopia and Uganda in this regard. Mozambique is third from bottom in the world table of earnings. It has been ravaged by civil war and before that by the colonial Portuguese, who did nothing to bring it into the 20th century. If we are to prioritise Mozambique, we must look, as has been said by Senator Farrell, at the removal of the mines there. Mozambique may have more people who have lost limbs due to mines than any other country in the world. The mines that were laid there are now being found at a ferocious rate and it has been suggested that it will take many years to clear them. Unfortunately, many of the mines are of the plastic type which are not capable of being found by the traditional methods that were used up to now.

I am also glad that we are discussing giving further aid to the Palestinian territories, Cambodia and Vietnam. Both Cambodia and Vietnam have had a horrific incidence of undetected mines and we should join with other countries in attempting to get over the problems relating to detecting these modern mines which have been laid in these countries.

After the euphoria of the signing of the peace accord in the White House between the Palestinian representatives and the Israelis, the Governments who publicly said that they would donate money have not yet paid up. This applies to the EU as much as Japan, Finland or the US. Various excuses have been given for the non-payment of these sums of money. Unfortunately, many lives have been and will continue to be lost if the moneys promised do not materialise. It is easy at international conferences to make promises that will not be adhered to; they look and read well. Unfortunately, it is not only in the Palestinian occupied territories that the international community has not lived up to the promises it has made. It has also happened in other areas and is because the politics of the country do not suit the potential donor countries at some stage.

In development aid, like anything else, there must be accountability and a realisation that there is no point in sending aid to an area if it will not be of long term benefit to it. Aid has killed the economies of certain countries in the past. At a time when starvation might be occurring because of a natural disaster, aid in the form of food may flow in. If the need for the imported food disappears — the rainfall might come back — and the farmer could grow his crops again, they cannot sell it because their country might be awash with donated foodstuffs. There must be some monitoring of the amount of aid given. Unfortunately, the monitoring that does take place is not sufficient to ensure that the overflow of aid into certain areas does not kill the cash crops. Therefore, people get into a long term cycle of poverty when there is no need for it. No real monitoring of the amount of aid is done. There is no overall co-operation between all the NGOs involved — sometimes they are in direct competition with each other. One would imagine that they were fighting with each other rather than for the people in the countries in which they operate.

Apart from the amount of money that have been put in through bilateral or multilateral programmes from the EU and the Government, one must say that the Irish people have been the most charitable in the amount of money given. The fatigue that has struck other countries as far as Third World aid is concerned has not yet affected Ireland. Every time an emergency occurs in the Third World, the Irish people answer the call and they keep doing it time and time again. The Government recognises this in the sense that it is increasing the yearly amounts allocated to bring us up to the percentage of GNP which the United Nations would suggest. We should not be aiming to reach any targets the United Nations may set, but we should keep a close watch on the OECD league table and ensure that we jump up it as far as possible.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House and for her statements on this matter. Nobody could be satisfied with what is happening at present.

Mr. Neville

I welcome the Minister to the House. I congratulate the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward and the Government for its "aid package to the Third World, which will amount to £89 million in 1995, the equivalent of 0.27 per cent of GNP, which represents an increase of £19 million.". I also concur with the Fianna Fáil addition — I do not think it is an amendment — to the motion.

Overseas aid is an important aspect of the Government's work. I empathise with the Minister when she refers to the sub-Saharan section of Africa and the problems there, which are enormous. I have been involved for a number of years with Namibia and Zambia and have seen at first hand the problems and the need for assistance in those areas.

During the 1980s, the least developed African countries became even more marginalised and fell further behind the developed and developing countries as far as living conditions were concerned, which deteriorated significantly. Sub-Saharan Africa now has the world's lowest standard of living with more than half of its population in dire poverty. The income per head of its population has fallen to an average of about $200 per head, in comparison to Ireland's figure of about $13,000 per head. Inadequate agricultural growth and industrial development are a feature of it. Irish people do not realise the difference in the standard of living.

I have seen how people live in the townships in Zambia and Namibia. There are thousands of shacks — they are not even shacks but canvas or skins supported by timber frames — with a communal tap, if they are lucky, for ten, 15, 20, 100 or 200 houses. There is no sanitation or footpaths. Even in the better areas of Lusaka, where people are working and there is some sanitation and water supplies — even if it is only on a small communal basis in the townships — there are no footpaths. People walk on the bare earth which leads to high levels of dust. One sees nurses walking home from work to these hovels as even people who work have a very low standard of living. We saw the houses of some of the people with whom we worked and, what they consider a reasonable standard of living, in the context of their people, would be the lowest standard of living in this country. It is not possible to compare them with any group in this country.

I was interested in what Senator Farrell said, as I travel to and work in Africa on a regular basis. On the health area, I was touched by an incident when I was in a place called Opowu on the Angolan border last November. We arrived in the afternoon and a group of the Himba tribe were adjacent to the mission where we were staying. There were only four rooms where one could stay and there were three of us — a Kenyan, an American and myself. The Himbas have not changed for thousands of years and still maintain their traditions and dress as they did then.

One of them was assisting in the mission and he could interpret for us. The Kenyan and I spoke to them and they were very intelligent people. One of them began to communicate directly with me and I asked what she was saying. She was showing me that her child of about a year and a half had an open wound — a deep, ugly sore — on its body. She said that she wanted me to purchase something so that she could take the child to the health centre — although she called it a hospital it was just a little health centre. I gave her five Namibian dollars which is a little over one pound. I thought she was making a collection. However, she got up and walked quietly across the road to the health centre and returned with the child bandaged. If I had not given her the money she would have had to wait for days or maybe she would never have got the opportunity to have her child seen to. We do not realise how well off we are in this country — and rightly so — and how badly and differently other people live.

Another side of that story is that although those people were very poor and were sitting on skins around the fire cooking maize — all the children and women were together — they still had a sense of humour and were having a good laugh at the two foreigners. The only people who come there are anthropologists who want to study this tribe. They were laughing at us buying some of their trinkets and beads and were having a good joke about the Kenyan and me.

A few days earlier I was in Ombalantu. Having worked with food in my time, we travelled to the market one morning when we had a few hours off and I was amazed to see endless tables of meat, which had been slaughtered that morning, outside in 30º and 40º heat. When somebody came to buy it they pushed the flies off so that they could see the meat. It was absolutely disgusting to someone from our background but it was normal for them. I have discussed this with doctors who tell me that while there is resistance to that level of hygiene, it breaks down and that is a real health hazard, regardless of the resistance of the population. We saw the meat at 8 a.m. and much of it was still there when we returned at 7 p.m.

Although we can criticise the standards under which they have to live, they are quite happy people, especially in Namibia. The level of violence is very low and I felt very safe in places such as Windhoek. I would not say the same about Zambia where the level of violence is very high and Lusaka is quite a different area.

I notice that in the aid programmes moneys have been allocated to HIV testing in Lusaka. I learned in Lusaka last March that 25 per cent of the one million people there are HIV positive. I work with the political parties and one of their objectives is to introduce — if they can get the money — a proper education programme on the whole area of health, HIV, AIDS and drugs. I was pleased to see in the recent report — I think it was the 1995 report — that the Irish aid programme is contributing towards HIV testing, although not to education, in Lusaka. There is very little evidence of this aid in Namibia. However, in the Caprivi area — which is the only area of Namibia which I have not visited, although it is near Zambia and is quite beautiful — the Irish aid programme has contributed to a teacher training college and to the whole area of education.

In Lusaka, the Kamanga project was developed in the early 1980s. In Kamanga compound 6,000 people were living in an area the size of St. Stephen's Green — it was an illegal compound. The Irish aid workers went in there and organised water facilities, worked with the people and were instrumental in having the compound legalised and bringing in a whole series of facilities.

One has to go to the areas and see the results of what the aid workers have done. US aid workers are also very active there, especially in Lusaka. Like Senator Farrell, I was anxious to share some of my experiences. Irish people must be told how much people benefit from what the aid workers, the Government and the voluntary organisations do, and how essential it is.

Ms O'Sullivan

This has been a very informative and useful debate, particularly the contributions which many Senators, and the Minister of State, made from their own wide experience. I single out the specific examples given by Senator Farrell and Senator Neville which illustrate the very basic needs which are being met of housing, food, education, health and so on, and the real difference which is being made to the lives of millions of people. That came out very clearly in the debate, particularly from those two contributions.

There was general agreement that it is important we ensure that the aid is effective and not just short term. Senator Henry, in particular, stressed the need to think about the long term as well as the short and medium term. We must also develop local capacity. Our workers can sometimes work themselves out of a job by handing on their skills to local people who in turn develop programmes themselves. There is agreement on all sides of the House that it is important that the funding continue to grow and develop and I am glad the Minister is fully committed to that.

Many problems have been identified as well as the basic ones we all know about. Senator Daly referred to the problems stemming from the huge growth in population in many of these countries and the problem of access to markets was brought up by one of the Fianna Fáil contributors. Several Senators referred to the fact that the provision of clean water is a major source of concern and to the need to concentrate on the provision of wells and basic water facilities. The problem of Aids, referred to by Senator Neville, is a huge one in parts of Africa. I welcome the points made by the Minister about organising an initiative on food aid and food security in relation to the particular problems of Africa. Many of the individual contributions referred specifically to Africa and to the extension of the programme to Mozambique.

I am interested in the ongoing reform of the UN and in aiming to improve the effectiveness and accountability of the UN agencies. On television programmes and so on there has been much public criticism of aspects of what the UN is doing. Everybody would agree that some things the UN does could be done better, so I am glad that we are playing our part in that as well. There is no doubt but that the aid Ireland gives, whether through direct Government support, through APSO, or through the NGOs, is effective, practical aid. We know what is being done with the money because we get the feedback. Senator Daly referred to the regular meetings between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the various NGOs. That is very important because it provides the kind of monitoring Senators have been talking about and ensures that we are as effective as possible in the countries where we have development aid.

This debate has not been simplistic; it has gone into the various complexities of the issue. It has been very informed and informative and I hope that what we have said tonight will encourage the Government to continue with the programme and to move up along the league table of contributors. I welcome the commitment the Minister made in her speech.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

The Seanad adjourned at 8 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. on Thursday, 15 June 1995.