Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, to discuss the meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council on development aid and One World, One Future, which was launched last month and which outlines Ireland's policy for international development. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Minister of State and his officials to today's meeting. He was a very important member of this committee at one stage.

The new policy was developed following a review, which took place last year, of the White Paper on Irish Aid. This review, which was led by the Minister of State, with independent oversight by the Irish Aid expert group, chaired by Ms Nora Owen, was extensive in that it met with more than 1,000 people in both Ireland and the partner countries. It received 165 written submissions. While Ireland's aid programme is one of the best in the world, there is a clear need to recognise that in an ever-changing world, there is often a need to refocus our aims in order to ensure that the countries with which we work and support graduate to a position in which they are no longer dependent on aid. To that aim, the new policy has three goals, namely, reduced hunger and stronger resilience, sustainable development and inclusive economic growth, and better governance, human rights and accountability. In addition, six priority areas for action are identified: global hunger, fragile states, climate change and development, trade and economic growth, essential services, human rights and accountability.

This committee was involved in the review in a number of ways. First, the review was discussed before the joint committee on a number of occasions in 2011 and 2012. Second, the committee made a written submission to the review. Finally, individual members and political parties also made written submissions. The development meeting in May covered a number of very important issues. It adopted conclusions on EU overseas development assistance, resilience, and the 11th European development fund on food and nutritional security. It also endorsed conclusions on the post-2015 development framework in advance of the special event which Ireland is facilitating in September at the UN to review the millennium development goals. Final conclusions, which include both developmental and environmental elements post-2015, were adopted at the General Affairs Council yesterday and these have been circulated to the committee. In its EU work programme for 2013, the committee selected the post-2015 development framework as a priority.

I welcome this opportunity to hear from the Minister of State about the conclusions adopted in this area and about the special event that is being organised for September 2013. I invite the Minister of State to make his comments.