Mr. Colm Byrne:

I will be short and to the point. Ultimately, starvation is a political choice, and we should really underline that point. It is a mistake to enter this conversation of us versus them and domestic versus international. I do not believe it is impossible to do both. As Ms McKenna has said, Irish people are very supportive of Ireland's aid budget and Irish people have always stepped up. It is not always just about money but the opportunity to walk in solidarity with people and join them where they are. All of us are affected by the global food security crisis in one way or another, but standing up and walking tall in partnership with people experiencing crisis is an extraordinarily important gesture and a major source of hope.

There is the aid target of 0.7% of gross national income. We have spoken about protecting the aid budget but we are not even halfway there yet. We have made a commitment to that 0.7% figure and the closest we have come is 0.59% around 2008. We have already fallen backwards, so do not pull the rug from underneath people at their time of greatest need.

I will speak about who ultimately bears the brunt. We have spoken about people in the global south but we have also referred to women and girls. We are talking about a reversal of development gains, child marriage, sexual exploitation and abuse, and girls not having access to education. We should remember that a lack of access to education has lifelong implications, as does being a victim and survivor of sexual violence. Let us hold this ground firmly and not let people down when they need us most.