Ms Niamh Carty:

In a final comment on private public partnerships, the reality is the problems we are trying to overcome are huge. Nobody has a monopoly of expertise. We have to be very conscious of the way the world works and where things are going. Clearly there is a role for the private sector in development. It would be naive of us to suggest there is not, but we have to be very careful about how it plays out. Pharmaceutical companies' involvement in maternal healthcare which has been mentioned is compelling if one is sitting in a country where the maternal mortality rate is high and somebody is offering assistance that is very appealing. Our position is that these partnerships are critical to the changes we want to make, but let us be realistic and ensure they are driven by a pro-poor and pro-development agenda as much as by profit. There is and has to be room for that discussion.