Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for coming in, for sharing their experiences and for updating us on their programmes across the world. I absolutely agree with what Ms Keatinge said in her opening statement, which was that this has been no ordinary year. It has not been an ordinary year for any of us but the support provided to local communities on the ground by groups such as Ms Keatinge's will be pivotal and really important for future generations not only in the immediate term or in five or ten years' time, but as far out as 25 or 30 years from now. While the full impact of Covid is not yet known, we can see its visible impacts already. I refer to extreme hunger, extreme poverty, issues of gender equality and access to education, and the impacts of conflict zones on civilians. This is deeply concerning. I will say in the strongest of terms that preventing any further loss of the gains that had been made in those areas must be seen as a priority.

I will disagree with my colleague, Deputy Stanton, in that I am of the opinion that, as Covid has drawn some areas more into focus, it has also brought climate change to greater prominence in people's minds because we were being advised to wash our hands while knowing that there are millions of people who do not have access to clean water. The impact on those living in conflict zones and issues of food insecurity and extreme poverty have been brought much more to the fore. I believe it was Mr. MacSorley who mentioned the triple threat. Ireland has a key role to play and a real opportunity to build on the work that has been done to date in preventing crises before extreme hunger becomes famine and before we see images such as those I saw from Ethiopia on the screen when I was a toddler, images that have stayed with me ever since. While I acknowledge that the Government has committed to achieving that UN target of 0.7% by 2030, a detailed roadmap as to how that is to be achieved will be key in the short term. What is going to be done and when? Targets need to be put in place as part of that year-on-year plan. As a country, Ireland needs to bring those areas of expertise recognised by the OECD to other areas where there is emerging critical need, when that is possible, while also addressing the areas we already know of.

I will go back to the slippage of gains briefly. It will take a generation to catch up on the slippage we have seen so far, particularly in the area of education. It is not just a question of the reading, writing and literacy skills, but a question of everything else education represents, particularly in the context of gender equality, societal and economic changes and the opportunities these represent for the young girls who are now falling out of education. It is time they will never get back. In many cases, the potential opportunities are lost to them forever. For others, it will take a significant period of time to rebuild what they have lost in their time out of education.

I am most happy to hear vaccines mentioned. This is going to be key, particularly in the poorest of countries. We have seen variants arise quite regularly over the past year and a half. We have also seen lockdowns come and go. Until we get to a point at which a critical mass of people are vaccinated, that is not going to stop. That puts us all at risk. It has been said before, and I will say it again, that until we are all safe, none of us is safe. We are a global community.

That is the world in 2021. International travel is as easy as jumping onto a train or a bus would have been ten or 15 years ago. The further impacts of those and the lack of vaccinations in developing and poorer countries will impact everybody.

Chairman, I agree with what you said about Covid-19 and the budget. Cutting overseas aid at this time would be a retrograde step. Things can get better, but things getting better does not happen by chance. They happen through funding and planning, and through groups such as the groups here working with communities on the ground to empower them and give them the capability and resources to do for themselves as much as what we can do for them. Notwithstanding the cuts that other countries may make, if funding from Ireland is not increased and remains the same, looking at it through the prism of Covid-19, what will be the impact on the work the organisations can do on the ground? Will it be primarily focusing on the bedding down of programmes and regaining the gains lost through Covid-19? Will there be any capability to extend the work they do? What plans and programmes do the organisations have that cannot be implemented until the UN target of 0.7% is reached? Outside of financial aid, what other areas of positive change could make a further impact on the relationships Mr. MacSorley discussed? Are there other areas which could be improved that we should be looking at also as a priority?