Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for being late but it has been one of those days. I had to meet Turkish MPs who talked about a peace process and all sorts of issues which is important work that the delegation will appreciate.

I have a couple of questions on Christian Aid's report on Angola which is another damning report that gives Africa a bad name. Mention was made of high level corruption. The country has resources which exist on paper so one would imagine that it would be successful. They have finite resources but they have not been invested properly and high level corruption has led to the disappearance of billions. The report stated that 1.8 million people in ten of the 18 provinces are experiencing food insecurity. We do know that there is a need to intervene in these crises because there has been a food crisis in east Africa in Sahel. Christian Aid has called for Ireland to be more proactive about the issue on the Human Rights Council. How can we be more proactive? Can you outline some basic steps that the Government can take? The EU is one of the largest donors to Angola. Does Christian Aid see a role for Ireland in Angola? How can Ireland use its influence in the region?

With regards to drought and famine, there is a lack of diversification. Are there simple steps that the Angolan Government can take? Mention was made of the World Bank's report that stated that Angola largely depends on oil production which creates little employment. We know from other countries that have oil that roads must be built to the nearest port but that is all the development that takes place. Some of the companies involved are EU-based. Is there a need to name and shame them?

Tax equity and meetings were also mentioned. Part of the difficulty for a lot of people is that if we want to use our spending power or whatever, for example by boycotting oil companies, we need to know what companies are active in these areas. Would it be helpful to have an idea of the companies involved in the sector?

The situation is similar for land grabs. We know that companies from Europe and wherever else are involved but I do not know which ones. Is there a need for us to popularise them? How can we highlight them? Is identifying them part of Christian Aid's campaign to combat them?

Tax dodging in Sierra Leone was mentioned. Should Ireland or the EU step up to the plate? What is the best way forward to counteract the problem? Ireland is a small country that is interested in trading with everyone but we must also act responsibly. How will trade pan out in the future? What does Christian Aid want the committee to do about the matter? Does it have recommendations that we can give to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the role that Ireland can play, particularly in terms of human rights organisations, other organisations, the EU and so on? What does Christian Aid want us to say to the organisations? What recommendations does it want us to give to the Department and the Minister?