Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for being here. I am sorry I missed the start. Commencement matters overran because of the Dáil vote. I congratulate him and wish him well. It is an interesting brief and it provides an opportunity to do a lot of good and bring about support and help for those who are vulnerable, both the Irish who are vulnerable abroad and those from other countries.

I agree with a comment made on the grassroots movements. I had the opportunity to work with the Special Olympics in Tanzania and Uganda, and we got Irish Aid funding. The process that Irish Aid goes through is nothing short of excellent in ensuring that any money that is given is supported and spent in the right way with the right impact on the ground. In societies where there is an inbuilt gender bias, a baby born with vulnerabilities, be they intellectual or physical, is really left at the bottom of the pile. In many situations, these babies never leave the house. It happened in Ireland 70 or 80 years ago. In one case at a local Special Olympics club in a village in Tanzania, a healthy food programme was being launched through Irish Aid funding. The people running it came across a teenager who, when his parents went out to work, was tethered like a goat to the house with a rope. They supported that young man and his family, not just to get involved in healthy eating but to grow agricultural produce that they could sell and create an income with. This was for the equivalent of €65,000. Those who participated were able to grow at home on their own patches of land and be able to have food for themselves. I just cannot underestimate the impact that has. I say a huge “Well done” to all those involved in that.

It is frustrating and difficult enough to deal with situations that are caused by climate change and the economy, but to have to deal with situations like the Minister of State is dealing with now that are driven by conflict, manmade egos and territorial aspirations is completely shocking. One of my sisters volunteered with Médecins Sans Frontières in Sudan 20 years ago. I recall her coming back and talking about it, and it has not improved in any way. She was despairing all that time ago.

It is concerning to see the cuts by USAID and some European countries because this will impact on women and children, especially those who are more vulnerable. While it is important to have a multilateral approach, we cannot take our eye off the ball in respect of what Ireland can do, has done and continues to do, and I know that it will happen under the Minister of State’s leadership.

Regarding the new diaspora strategy, our relationship with the global Irish is hugely important. We need to support those who are undocumented, who live abroad and particularly those who are not doing well.

We must also ensure there is reciprocal recognition of professional qualifications for Irish people going abroad and migrants coming here. Teachers are still not recognised for their service abroad in secondary schools when they come back here. At a time we have a shortage of teachers, we need to work on this collectively.

The last issue I will mention relates to the EU Presidency. This is an important role and it would be great to have further engagement on that during the next 12 months and on the priorities we as a country can set regarding the responsibilities the Minister of State has.