Ms Lorna Gold:

I will comment on the issue of policy coherence for development, with particular reference to climate change and aid for trade, and how this links into the work of this committee. As members are aware, we work with several Oireachtas committees, including the environment committee where we present on the issue of climate change. Policy coherence for development is an obligation we have under the Lisbon treaty, and Irish Aid was recently peer reviewed in this regard by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD. Best practice within development co-operation now requires us to look at policy coherence. It is about putting in place mechanisms for the research into and analysis and understanding of the policy linkages and policy inconsistencies that impact on intractable global problems like climate change, and also the links between our economic trade co-operation and our overseas development programmes.
In the context of the publication of One World, One Future last year, the role of this committee vis-à-vispolicy coherence for development is highlighted in terms of the biennial report that is to be produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is to come before the committee. We have made a submission to the Department in regard to how that biennial report should be constructed. We are strongly of the view that it should have a thematic focus rather than trying to capture everything related to policy coherence for development, because it is a very complex and all-embracing issue. We would prioritise those issues where we feel there is the highest potential for inconsistencies and incoherence. We see this committee having a role in the discussion of that report and making recommendations on the basis of it.
One of the areas we highlighted was the relationship between our aid work and our trade promotion work. The alignment of trade promotion with foreign affairs by the current Government raises a question around the primary objective of our aid programme. It is stated as being about poverty eradication and human rights, but there is also talk of synergies with the Irish business sector and how to ensure there are no conflicts of interest there. Similarly, in respect of our foreign affairs policy more generally, in our submission to the review we highlighted the issue of human rights due diligence and its importance in the context of the Africa strategy and the promotion of Irish business interests in Africa. We have an obligation in terms of the policy advice we give to businesses in regard to human rights due diligence.
In regard to climate change, the concern we would bring to this committee is to ensure that the interests of the poorest and most vulnerable are taken into account in the shaping of the climate Bill. Although the environment committee has the lead role in this regard, there is also a role for this committee to ensure the Bill is consistent with stated objectives in respect of foreign policy and the aid programme.