Seán Fleming
Ceist:11. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is committed to the millennium development goals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50173/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 14 November 2012
Ceisteanna (11)
Freagraí ó Béal (15 píosaí cainte)
The millennium development goals were agreed by world leaders at the United Nations in 2000 as the framework for international development policy up to 2015. They provide a clearly measurable way to track progress in the fight against global poverty. The goals are central to Ireland’s overseas development programme, and to the Government’s development policy. As we approach 2015, it is clear that progress on the goals has been mixed. As a result of the scaling up of development assistance, and the partnership which we and other donors have built with Governments and communities in the developing world, the targets set in some vital areas will be met by 2015. For instance, the overall extreme poverty rate will be halved, as will the proportion of people without access to clean drinking water. Considerable progress has been made in education, especially enrolment at primary level, and in addressing the HIV-AIDS pandemic. However, less positively, some targets remain significantly off-track, notably in the areas of maternal health and maternal mortality, access to sanitation and the fight against extreme hunger, which is a central priority of Ireland’s aid programme. It is imperative that the entire international community strengthen and accelerate its efforts to achieve the remaining targets by 2015.
Next September, the UN General Assembly will hold a major political meeting to review progress in advance of 2015 and open substantive debate on the framework for international development after that date. During Ireland’s EU Presidency in the first half of 2013, we will focus on the preparation for the UN meeting, commencing with a major discussion at an informal meeting of EU Development Ministers, to be hosted by the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, in Dublin in early February. I look forward to working with our EU partners to develop the strongest possible EU contribution for the UN discussions, and to highlight the actions needed internationally to make maximum progress in the fight against poverty and hunger by 2015.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I hope we can make progress on this issue during the Irish Presidency. We have a proud history of supporting developing countries in some of the most impoverished regions in the world. In the past 15 to 20 years, in particular, this has been achieved through Government funding. Before that, it was achieved through our missionaries, both lay and religious. At a time when there is negative publicity over developments in Uganda, it is important to reiterate to the Irish taxpayer the considerable benefits that accrue to recipients of Irish development aid in various regions. It is important that this message be got across, particularly when households are facing particular challenges.
This year the overseas development aid programme of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was worth approximately €639 million, which is 0.5% of GNP. I assume the Minister will not confirm this evening that this figure will be the same for 2013. It is important, however, that we do everything to achieve the UN target by 2015. Despite the challenges, it is important that our overseas development aid programme be maintained at the highest possible level.
In terms of our historic experience as a country, the Famine had a huge impact on our collective memory. We have always had a strong empathy with people and countries facing famine, hunger and poverty. There are almost 1 billion people living in the world who are undernourished and lack basic nutrition. Our aid programme is literally saving lives. It is helping to feed hungry people and ensuring that babies and young children survive the critical first 1,000 days. That is an initiative we took jointly with the United States which has now been mainstreamed, namely, the Scaling Up Nutrition movement. I refer to the work we have done as a country in saving lives and rescuing people from the scourge of the HIV-AIDS pandemic and the work we are doing in providing basic education and health services, building on the heroic work done by religious missionaries over the decades. We have a great record in that regard and Irish people have shown great generosity time and again, even in difficult times, when we see humanitarian crises in different parts of the world.
We are committed to the 0.7% target, and it is critically important that we keep that target firmly in sight. However, we must be realistic about our prospects of achieving it in the current economic circumstances. The level of aid for next year will be a budget matter but we can be proud of the fact that in difficult times as a country we have maintained our faith and commitment with the poorest people of the world.
I agree with the Minister on the substantial progress made. I recall one of the Minister's predecessors, Brian Cowen, saying when we won one of the rotating seats on the UN Security Council some years ago that we had people willing to support us based on the Irish contribution to their countries over many years.
The Minister said that 1 billion people go to bed hungry every night. I read some commentary recently in which that figure was revised downwards. When he has an opportunity he might instruct his officials to find out the best estimate for that figure. However, regardless of what the figure is, we all deplore the fact that so many people are hungry when so much wealth is lost under the many different regimes. I ask the Minister to ensure that is addressed through the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
There are different agencies working in this area and there is a great transfer of knowledge from this country. At yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade we had an informal meeting with a delegation from the Congo during which its representatives told us about their very rich farmland. That is a country where there has been protracted conflict resulting in the deaths of more than 5 million people in a relatively short period. At the same time, its rich resources are not being utilised. There is a huge task ahead and I wish the Minister well in every forum available to him and urge him to use the Presidency of the EU Council to keep these issues on the agenda. As he rightly said, we are all conscious of what our country suffered, and for those of us who come from parishes where workhouses were located, and the graveyards are located still, it is a constant reminder of what our previous generations experienced.
I will arrange for my Department to circulate a brief paper on the figure for hunger and lack of nutrition. I was drawing a distinction between going to bed hungry and nutrition, but we can circulate information on it.
It is important for us to remember that our aid programme is the right thing to do. It fits in with our values as a people but it is also opening up doors and opportunities for us. Let us consider what is now happening in Africa. Seven of the ten fastest-growing economies in the world are in Africa and our record of aid in that continent is now enabling us to open up trade opportunities in those countries. That is the reason we developed the Africa strategy, which is examining the major potential of Africa from a trade point of view. One of the initiatives we took this year, for example, was undertaken jointly my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and I worked with the Minister, Deputy Coveney. We have now introduced a programme which is operating in Kenya and Tanzania involving the private food sector here. It is exploring opportunities for developments in the agrifood sectors in Kenya and Tanzania.
With regard to where this is going, our aid programme is a generous expression of our assistance to African countries and other poor countries, but in many cases we are now moving from aid to trade. Regarding the potential in terms of food, natural resources, education and the development of services, Africa is growing rapidly economically and our presence there through our aid programme is opening up opportunities for trade and investment, as well as opening doors for Irish companies to develop their trade with Africa. That is giving rise to much new economic potential. People who question, from a selfish point of view, whether we should be providing aid and the amount of aid we should be providing should consider its potential to open doors in terms of trade and think in the longer term rather than thinking only as far as the next budget or the budget after that.
The Tánaiste might conclude.
Am I already into overtime?
The Tánaiste is.
I thought I should have been finished a while ago but I was too polite to say it.
The Tánaiste has built up enormous Chamber credit.
I am 15 minutes over time.
I appreciate it, and the replies were well worth hearing.
I thank the Acting Chairman. I am delighted to hear that and that the Minister for Health has entered the Chamber to relieve me.
I was waiting patiently outside. I was equally intrigued by the responses.
The Acting Chairman just kept calling the questions.
Written Answers follow Adjournment.