Ms Brid Kennedy:

Afghanistan is at a point somewhat similar to where Somalia was, as Mr. Ahmed explained. Concern's approach to education has evolved over the years and has become much more community focused. As Senator Craughwell said, we used to look only at numbers of children rather than quality. Over the years, we have developed an approach of working with the community, parents, caregivers, girls and boys, and working with teacher training right up to national level where we can. We are trying to use that model in Afghanistan with the support of Irish Aid. In the areas where we are working in Afghanistan we are able to access our education programme and deliver it in that manner. There are other areas in Afghanistan where this permission has not been given. We are maximising on the permissions we have. Irish Aid is very flexible and we welcome that but a number of donors have sanctions against the current government in Afghanistan in the areas of education and health. We encourage the Irish Government to use whatever leverage it has to lift those sanctions because we are denying fundamental basic human rights to children who have no responsibility for contributing to this war. They should not be denied their basic rights.