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

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Following from what the Chairman has said, we share those concerns on funding and the increasing securitisation agenda, which is not helping the aid agenda. It is very difficult to find out exactly where aspects of the European Development Fund go and what exactly it is being spent on. We would very much share those concerns. The other side of the coin is the tax issue and tax justice. Unless we get this piece right also we are in danger of giving with one hand and taking with the other. It is vital that we state this.

There must be engagement with parliamentarians and Ministers in the countries. I have seen very good examples of this partnership, whether with an NGO or a missionary order. Do the witnesses envisage more space for their work to continue this and engage parliamentarians of the areas in which they work?

Do the witnesses have confidence in the oversight and implementation of the overseas development goals? Next year Ireland will report. What is going on in the meantime? Do the witnesses have an input in the oversight implementation agenda?

There is no doubt there is pressure to keep our aid untied, and we are responding well to it, but we see a change in other countries whereby aid is tied in with trade. There is an opportunity for us to be a leader, as the witnesses pointed out. Even though it is a long time coming, the human rights and business report is nearly there. It was good to hear what was said about Niger and that we are an example there and in the Central African Republic.

I was at the launch of the UNFPA's Worlds Apart report on reproductive health and rights for women and girls, which is part of the conversation about empowering women. Giving women and girls in the countries where the witnesses work that empowerment or capacity to make decisions is very low down on the agenda. I know it is very difficult because of some of the societies where they live.

I was interested to hear about Irish Aid reviewing the partner countries because there are other countries which we could look at. I have seen Irish Aid in action and I know the effectiveness of the work it does. Is Irish Aid getting to a point with some of its projects of letting go because it has done what it can? This would create space for other projects to come in.

We are not as aware as we should be of the pressure on African countries in terms of refugees and migrants. Look at what Uganda and Kenya are working with. We know about the Rohingya people coming into Bangladesh. These countries are vulnerable and are trying to tackle the root causes of poverty for their own populations and the pressures they face. At times, their responses are much better than ours with regard to the humanity and compassion they show.