Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the context of Deputy Barrett's point, we discussed the notion of more interaction with schools and colleges to get the message out about the importance of development aid and humanitarian assistance programmes, as well as the benefits taxpayer funding brings to the most impoverished people in the world. The communities that are most vulnerable to climate change are in the poorest countries, which we witnessed some weeks ago following the typhoons in Malawi and Mozambique, where villages and other settlements were washed away.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently took an initiative to bring the United Nations flag to each school, to get the message across that, since we joined the UN 64 years ago Ireland, a small country, has played an important role in the organisation. Last week, some of us met a senior UN official. She spoke about disarmament and constantly spoke of the initiatives of Irish Governments, back in the early days of the UN, which led to non-proliferation treaties that were important for disarmament. This committee engages regularly with Irish and international NGOs and a huge part of our work relates to development aid and humanitarian assistance. In a report we produced on Irish Aid more than a year ago, the committee sought submissions from Oxfam and others and highlighted the need for disability-inclusive development.

The contribution of each witness has been welcome. Ms Diouf spoke about the double vulnerability of a woman with a disability and the statistics she gave about women with a disability being two or three times more likely to face gender violence were frightening. Disability cannot be an afterthought in development policy. We do not have an executive role but we will engage with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Minister of State, as well as with Irish Aid, directly on the issues the witnesses raised. We will ensure that these important issues are brought directly to the Tánaiste, the Department and Irish Aid and in our future discussions, at official and political level, we will raise the dialogue we had today. These issues concern people in the developing world, particularly those with disabilities. I offer my sincere thanks to all witnesses for their contributions.