Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I thank the witnesses for their attendance and the important work they do. I was with the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, a week or two ago. It was very sobering. The phrase "triage of human suffering" really sticks with you. The invidious choices facing aid organisations around the world, including potentially those of the witnesses, are - I do not know what the word is. It is just depressing, to be honest.

Unfortunately, the gaps left by the cuts in USAID are so large it seems no one can fill them, even with the best will in the world, and the best will in the world does not exist. It does not seem to be possible. A fair degree of attention is shifting to the issue of debt. It was a substantial part of our discussion with the Minister of State. Is there a sense that momentum building is behind this or is it too early to say that? My understanding is that because USAID was assumed to be always the biggest player, the architecture of many projects was built on existing larger projects. The foundations were US funded and projects by Irish, Dutch, Polish or whatever aid organisations would build on top of that. Can the witnesses give examples of that? To what extent is the footprint based in the world's poorest continent, Africa? Are projects in other developing countries at significant risk?

Many governments, particularly in southern African countries like South Africa and Botswana, are concerned about AIDS. The cuts could lead to tens of millions of deaths, apparently. Do any of the witnesses' organisations have projects related to that? The witnesses have spoken about projects relating to women and girls. Through development, science, public health interventions and other advances, much progress was made. Many people still get sick and, unfortunately, die but huge progress was made. Now we potentially face much of that progress being reversed. Those are my questions and I direct them to any speaker who wishes to respond.