Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ambassador for his presentation. I shall speak as a member of this committee. I shall also speak as the person who chairs the Irish section of AWEPA and, therefore, I have had a lot of engagement with African parliamentarians.

The ambassador has said that the millennium development goals have enjoyed some success but I think they have not been a glaring success and there have been major shortfalls and gaps. There are still millions of people who are hungry, there are still health issues and we can still see growing inequality. Why are we debating 17 sustainable development goals when there is still so much work to be done on the millennium development goals?

The ambassador used the word "ambitious" but I would add the word "aspirational". How realistic are the 17 goals? Is it wise to have 17 goals? I am sure that he will be aware of the statistic that 80% of the world's humanitarian crises are man-made. They are made by people in the developed world and in the developing world, but mainly the developed world. It is the developing world that pays the price for the mistakes made by men in the developed world, all of which comes down to implementation and the resources to implement goals. We talk about saving the planet but we know that the developed world has done more damage to the planet and has massive effects on the developing world.

A report entitled Where Aid Meets Trade was recently published by Trócaire and I chaired the panel at its launch. The report complimented Irish aid because it is untied aid. We are seeing a demand or request being made of donor countries. The aid is increasing the economic growth of the donor country which, in turn, will have a major effect on sustainable development goals.

I have read the 17 sustainable development goals but did not see a goal of tax justice. The whole initiative will go down the Swanee unless tax justice is addressed because we know more is being lost to the global south through tax avoidance and evasion than is coming to them in aid. I would love to have seen tax justice as a major sustainable development goal. I would like to hear the ambassador's opinion on the matter.

Finally, Addis is so important. Addis is right and its conclusions are the right ones so the next two conferences will mean nothing. The level of our delegation attending Addis is a matter I have raised before. I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock. I know he is committed to the matter but the conference will discuss financing for development and his brief is development. I wonder about the level of representation by the African countries which is at a higher level than representation from Ireland or other European countries.