Ms Jane-Ann McKenna:

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for the invitation to meet them today to brief them on the issues and recommendations outlined in the Dóchas pre-budget submission for 2024. It has only been three months since we were last before the committee, but in that time a deadly and violent conflict has engulfed Sudan, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee war and seek refuge in neighbouring countries. The fighting shows no signs of slowing down and the human toll grows every day. Those still in Sudan are seeing their livelihoods, health and social systems deteriorate in real time. This increasingly dire situation comes at a time when a record 240 million people in 69 countries need urgent humanitarian assistance. Parts of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are now enduring their sixth consecutive failed rainy reason, which has led to soaring food prices and water scarcity, pushing millions of people into ever more extreme levels of food insecurity. For Dóchas members, who are working in and through local communities and organisations, the magnitude of the multiple crises and the chronic level of underfunding is having real and serious consequences. The gap between rapidly increasing humanitarian need and global funding is widening, forcing impossible choices as to who gets left behind. As the committee heard from us in April when we briefed members on the progress against the sustainable development goals, SDGs, decades of progress towards ending poverty and hunger are being rapidly reversed by a deadly mix of climate change and conflict. The Irish Government must respond urgently.

Ireland stepped up to increase funding in response to the spiralling crisis in the Horn of Africa in 2022 and it is vital we do not step back now. However, funding is not the only need. Political will is needed to ensure climate targets are met, conflict is prevented, food systems work for everyone and those furthest behind are reached. Ireland should leverage its role as co-facilitator of the UN SDG Summit to influence wealthy nations and partners to accelerate progress on the SDGs by 2030 through transformative policies and measurable commitments. António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, urged world leaders to help deliver a rescue plan for people and planet at the summit. Only a few days ago, speaking at UN headquarters, Mr. Guterres stated: "We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open....it’s time to wake up and step up". We now need to step up to what is being asked of us as a country and a global community and not sleepwalk towards rolling crisis after crisis. Hunger and malnutrition are not inevitable. People capable of producing enough and earning enough money for food for themselves and their families are being disproportionately impacted by conflict, climate change, and inequality.

I am joined by Ms Rosamond Bennett, CEO of Christian Aid Ireland and by Ms Réiseal Ní Chéilleachair, head of international advocacy at Concern Worldwide, both of whom will give the committee a sense of the urgent action needed, in particular for those who are displaced as a result of conflict and those who are suffering the injustice of global unsustainable food systems. I am also pleased to be joined virtually from Uganda by Mr. Maurice Sadlier, programmes and policy director with World Vision Ireland, who will give the committee a sense of how climate change has impacted communities he has visited and spent time with in the past week.

The committee has been a strong champion of sustainable development and of the calls of Dóchas and its members. We recognise the consistent record of Irish Aid as a humanitarian donor and the support of the committee in delivering Ireland's commitment to reaching those furthest behind. In our discussion this afternoon we will speak about several recommendations we are making and we look forward to having a fruitful dialogue with the committee. In summary, we appeal to the Government to make real and tangible progress towards our commitment to spend 0.7% of global national income, GNI, on official development assistance, ODA, by 2030. We must make good on our commitment to spend ODA on those furthest behind in the least developed countries and those worst affected by climate change and conflict. We ask for the urgent scale-up of Ireland's humanitarian funding to conflict-affected and fragile states, recognising that funding must be underpinned by policies that contribute to removing the root causes of crises. We ask the Government to show leadership through global initiatives to tackle hunger and deepen co-operation across all its Departments to achieve our goals on hunger and sustainable food systems, SFS. We also ask the Government to act on climate change at all levels, including delivering on the commitment to provide a minimum of €225 million per annum of climate finance, with a view to rapidly increasing this allocation in response to the actual needs of low-income countries and in line with Ireland’s fair share of climate finance. We ask that as part of Ireland’s commitment to implementing the SDGs, both domestically and overseas, the SDGs be hardwired into the planning and budgetary processes across the State.

I will hand over to Rosamond Bennett, CEO of Christian Aid Ireland, who will share her experience of her visit last week to Kenya and to the Sudanese border.