Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 28: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in regard to the Irish United Nations Association, he will ensure monies will be made available to reconstitute the IUNA in order to promote public understanding and knowledge of United Nations activities here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29762/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish United Nations Association, IUNA, is a non-governmental organisation based in Dublin whose objectives are to promote the aims and activities of the United Nations and its specialised agencies in Ireland.

IUNA received funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs to achieve these objectives from 1972 onwards, with €60,000 allocated for this purpose in 2009. In addition to providing this funding, my Department has provided support to IUNA in terms of advice on strategy and internal governance procedures. In the period 2007 to 2008, my Department, in co-operation with IUNA, conducted two extensive reports on the association. A series of recommendations were produced identifying reforms geared to better enabling IUNA to fulfil its mandate.

Following a review of departmental expenditure in 2009, and taking into account the recommendations of the McCarthy report that in the current very difficult budgetary circumstances funding for IUNA should cease, no allocation for grant-in-aid to IUNA was made for 2010. Furthermore, there is no proposal to resume funding to IUNA in future years. This position has been communicated to IUNA by my Department and the association is proceeding on this basis.

While this is a matter for IUNA, the immediate priority for the association should be reform of its structures and procedures, in line with the recommendations set out in the review and audit of the association undertaken on behalf of the Department in 2007 and 2008. I encourage the association to seek to engage with private donors following on from implementation of the necessary structural and procedural reforms recommended in these reports, including efforts to expand its membership base.

Promoting public understanding and knowledge of the United Nations is a goal that the Government, through its long-standing support for and commitment to the United Nations, actively pursues on an ongoing basis through its national and international policies. Our strong support for the promotion and protection of human rights, our long tradition of participating in UN-mandated peace operations, our leading role internationally in disarmament and non-proliferation issues and the work of Irish Aid in alleviating poverty and combating global hunger all provide good examples of how the Government demonstrates its commitment to the UN and, in turn, helps to promote awareness of the UN's indispensable role in addressing issues of global concern.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I am very disappointed with the Minister's reply. The Irish United Nations Association has as its patron the President of Ireland. It is also a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations. During its history, it ran into difficulties and was reformed, thus breathing new life into it. I raised this at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs because it was singular in that the line for the association was lost. If one wanted to implement the 2007-08 report, which has my support, provision should have been made for a small sum to allow for the consideration of a new structure for the organisation. I am not asking the Minister whether he agrees with my next comment, but this situation relates to the crudeness of the McCarthy suggestions, particularly those on foreign affairs. The Minister's predecessor was on the review group advising Kofi Annan on reform of the UN. A unique opportunity exists through the transition year classes that Oireachtas Members visit.

It would have been ideal had we at least left some seed money so that it could be reformed. On 1 January 2010, all funding ceased. A telephone call to the office when the telephone had been cut off and the website had been closed down to ask what the office's current activities are would not be helpful. Will the Minister consider setting aside a nominal sum while the review takes place so that we could all co-operate on setting up a mechanism? That the Irish United Nations Association, IUNA, under the patronage of the President, would be abolished from the Estimates in one stroke on foot of the McCarthy suggestion seems inconceivable.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The feedback I received about outputs, activity levels and so on was not good. Sometimes, I make my views known about some of the recommendations in the McCarthy report, but we cannot blame it for everything, particularly in this context. The bottom line is that we cannot-----

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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We could have left basic seed money to review it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The feedback I received about outputs and activity levels was not positive.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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It needed to be revitalised. Actually, it was revitalised, but-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Please, allow the Minister to reply. I will call the Deputy again.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Sometimes, we need to make calls on these issues. Subheads and budget allocations cannot be continued forever on the basis that everyone is nice.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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That is not what I am asking for. If I remember correctly, a good programme was put in place in this respect after the association held an AGM back when Muireann Ní Briain headed it. It was active. Had the Department's UN desk been unhappy with the association, it should have told the Minister that IUNA was not performing well and he could have addressed the matter through the Estimates. Let us remember the history of the situation. The amount of money involved was more than €60,000 at one stage. Making it €200,000 was considered, but the amount fell to €60,000, then to €10,000 and finally it was cut.

With the greatest respect, the IUNA, as part of the World Federation of United Nations Associations, WFUNA, and under the patronage of the President, is an important connection with schools. At the very least, the Minister should put a small sum of money in place to allow every Deputy to make suggestions on how the IUNA could become more active. I am not asking for much. With the greatest respect and while the Minister might restrain himself, I know more about foreign affairs and educating people on the subject than Colm McCarthy.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I have given the outline and the reasons for taking this decision. In terms of the objectives that the association set for itself, we cannot keep slotting money into various subheads year on year.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I am not asking for that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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It is the underlying rationale. However, we encourage support for UN objectives, particularly in terms of increasing awareness in Ireland of the UN's work. I am available to receive any proposal that comes my way and I will discuss the Deputy's points with my people.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I will make a proposal.