Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I visited Somalia in the mid-1990s. At that time, we had Irish troops based in Baidoa who were responsible for bringing aid from Mogadishu to Baidoa. I had never in my life been in a place that was so deprived of basics. I recall that there was an orphanage there where the only food the children got was one bowl of rice per day. To hear today that little progress has been made in Somalia since 1994-1995 when I was there is appalling. It begs the question of what type of progress, if any, is being made under the aid programmes. When I returned from Somalia I was unable to explain to people what poverty meant. We talk about poverty in this country but we do not have a clue what poverty is when compared with the lives these people are living. I have often wondered what happened to the children in the orphanages. I am disappointed to hear first hand about what has not happened in Somalia. It begs the question of whether we are going in the wrong direction in terms of aid to these places. There is a willingness to give money and to take action, but we do not seem to be making any progress. It is a case of money out and no progress made, which is horrific. I could not explain to people what I saw when I was in Somalia. It could not be explained to people because they could not imagine it.

As I said, the Irish troops based there were engaged in bringing food from Mogadishu to Baidoa, protected by the Indian troops who were based in the camp next-door. I would like a response on where we are going wrong and on what, as politicians and as a country, we can do. We cannot continue to just commit to giving more money such that our consciences are clear but nothing is happening. I have outlined what I saw in Somalia over 20 years ago. In terms of what I am hearing today, the situation is the same as it was then. I hope that in the short time we have available to us today we might hear what we as politicians and members of this committee can do to help. Is there a need for a review of our involvement in this area or should we continue to just give money and consider that our bit is done? The Irish people are willing to help but there is a lack of direction in terms of how to resolve the problem.

I am aware of the situation in other places such as South Sudan and so on, but I am concentrating on Somalia because I was there and saw what was happening first-hand. I have often thought about the orphanage I visited and wondered what became of the children who, as I said, were given only one bowl of rice a day. It is difficult to explain this to people. That 20 plus years on no progress has been made is appalling. As politicians, what we are doing wrong?