Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 November 2004
7 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position on achievement of the eight world millennium development goals; the proportion of the pledges put in place; his estimation of the achievement of each of the goals by 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30072/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland attaches the greatest importance to the achievement of the eight millennium development goals which set time-bound, measurable targets in areas such as reducing the number of people living in extreme poverty, achieving universal primary education, combating maternal and child mortality and fighting the scourge of AIDS-HIV. The United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, will conduct the first major review of progress in the implementation of the MDGs in 2005. He has expressed the view that greater effort will be required on the part of the international community if the millennium development goals are to be achieved. He also has highlighted the need for special support for many sub-Saharan African countries where most of the development indicators show little improvement over those of ten years ago.
I share the Secretary General's concerns about the achievement of the millennium development goals in sub-Saharan Africa. Our development co-operation programme has its chief focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Some 85% of our bilateral programme country assistance is spent there. We intend to maintain this focus and to expand our assistance to the region as the aid programme grows.
As the world's largest aid donor, the EU has a major role to play in the achievement of the millennium development goals. During this country's recent Presidency of the EU, our partners agreed to Ireland's suggestion for a stocktaking exercise aimed at providing a consolidated EU contribution to next September's United Nations high level meeting on this subject, which will review the achievement of the MDGs and the implementation of the millennium summit declaration, in which commitments were also made in the area of United Nations reform. The aim is to ensure that the EU provides strong leadership and a well co-ordinated contribution to the MDG stocktaking exercise.
Ireland, with other EU member states, has submitted a report to the European Commission on progress being made to implement the goals. The report emphasises that we are fully committed to the achievement of all the millennium development goals and explains that we have adopted their achievement as the overarching framework for our development co-operation programme.
In submitting its report to the Commission did Ireland say that the Taoiseach was about to reverse his commitment given solemnly in September 2000 before the United Nations that we would reach the 0.7% target in overseas development aid by 2007? He was so committed to it he repeated it in September 2003 before the 58th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Does the Minister of State refer in his report to the Commission to the breaking of its commitment by Ireland? Is he aware of Ms Eveline Herfkins, the former Development Minister in Holland who was appointed by Mr. Kofi Annan to implement the eight millennium development goals and review progress as regards their achievement? Two days ago Ms Herfkins expressed her deep disappointment over Ireland breaking its commitment.
If the Minister of State looks at each of the eight goals which were the focus of my question, will he accept that this commitment was made in September 2000 and later at the conference in Johannesburg, where countries were asked to commit to their achievement? The programme for the elimination of AIDS-HIV accounts for less than 50% of the budget that is necessary. Looking at my notes on this subject, 23 million people died as a result of war out of the total number of deaths in the 50 year period 1945-95. However, 150 million died as a result of TB, malaria and AIDS-HIV. Is it not incredible that the countries of the world are not meeting their commitments given in Johannesburg and is it not an incredibly bad example that Ireland is using the excuse that it became too rich? One excuse is that gross national product grew so much that we could not afford to meet our commitments. That is the logic of it.
The Tánaiste made a disgraceful statement this morning that there were other claims on Government expenditure such as disability, putting the disabled into competition with the poorest of the world as regards TB, malaria and the 1.3 billion people on the planet who live on less than a dollar a day. We made this commitment solemnly. The Taoiseach and his agents canvassed for votes, particularly from Africa, so that we could be elected on to the Security Council. Does the Minister of State not feel a sense of shame or did he not put it in the report to the Commission? Perhaps he said that in so far as the Taoiseach was in favour of keeping his promise as late as September 2003, maybe it was another bolt from the blue, like the socialist blast he got, that made him break his promise. Did the Minister of State report to the Commission? Is he aware of Eveline Herfkins's comment on behalf of Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations, to the effect that they are deeply disappointed Ireland is not keeping its promise?
I am rather surprised at the Deputy's contribution. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and I had three meetings with Mr. Kofi Annan in Iveagh House, one over dinner, where he praised Ireland as the model UN country, both in terms of our contribution to the UN in general and crucially as regards the overseas aid commitments we have undertaken.
He did not know the Government was going to do a U-turn.
It was not announced then that the Taoiseach was going to break his promise.
I need only remind the Deputy that Ireland is the seventh largest donor country of overseas development aid in the world, when calculated on a per capita basis. That is a remarkable achievement for this and previous Governments. As regards the specific matter raised by the Deputy about the report on the achievement of the millennium development goals, our commitment to the 0.7% is not part of this, but rather part of our country commitment. As regards the report that was furnished to the Commission, which is about the consolidated EU strategy, that was furnished and sent prior to the recent Estimates process. I remind the Deputy that the recent allocation of Estimates is the largest in the history of the State and involves the spending of €1.8 billion in the next three years. These are record increases in the level of Ireland’s overseas development aid.
For what it is worth, as regards Mr. Kofi Annan's welcome and praise for our contribution of overseas development aid-——
His representative said two days ago that it was a pity——
——I am not clear about the statement you attribute to the former Dutch Minister.
I am quoting it.
I can, however, read into the record the response of UNICEF, the UN agency for children, which is a charity and a registered NGO in Ireland, what it has to say about the recent Estimates and the sheer size and magnitude of the increase sanctioned over three years. Ms Maura Quinn, executive director of UNICEF Ireland said:
This ever-growing commitment by the Irish Government reflects a growing need for a greater response internationally to escalating humanitarian issues. It also reflects our prosperity as a nation and our unstinting commitment to supporting developing countries in greatest need.
That is the quotation from the Irish director of UNICEF, a UN body well recognised for over 30 years in Ireland for——
Will the Minister of State quote the former President of Ireland and what she had to say last night?
——raising global awareness about child poverty in the Third World and raising much-needed money in Ireland. It is a highly respected charity which welcomes the size and magnitude of the awards sanctioned by the Minster for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, the Taoiseach and the Cabinet as regards the recent Estimates. It is a fantastic record and we should be proud that we are now the seventh largest donor of aid in the world.
Sweden, as a member state of the European Union, has changed its target to 1% of GNP. The Scandinavian countries, Norway and Denmark, meet the 0.7% target at present. One can dance all around the bushes, but the reality is that the Taoiseach made a commitment in 2000, as stated in An Agreed Programme for Government and the social partnership agreement, and repeated it in September 2003, but it has not been met.
Does the Minister of State realise that when the commitment was made in 2000 to achieve it in 2007, the mid point was 0.45%? It is likely that the figure he has quoted of 0.5% in 2007 will probably be approximately 0.45% or less, so that he will fairly achieve the mid-point figure. Why did he find it necessary, in seeking to deflect flak from the broken promise, to attack the money spent on advocacy by the non-governmental organisations and try to suggest a year long review when there had been a published review by the review committee on overseas development aid?
The Deputy is incorrect in stating I attacked the NGOs. I merely importuned listeners to the radio programme, namely, "Morning Ireland" to look at the amount spent on advocacy. I did not attack any NGO, either individually or collectively on the spend. If the Deputy chooses to read the newspapers as opposed to what I said——
The Minister of State should know what he said on the radio and what he means.
I cannot be responsible for the Deputy's ability to read.
Early in the morning the Minister of State is at his best. He flies his biggest kites in the morning before breakfast.
It is important to note that in the context of the millennium development goals the European Union has committed itself to achieving 0.39% of GNP by 2006. We in Ireland have well exceeded the European target figure already. In terms of Ireland's performance we are well ahead of all our EU colleagues.
The Government broke its promise.
Obviously some of those colleagues in the Nordic countries are ahead of us in some respects but we are ahead of the EU average.
The Minister of State betrayed them.
