Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

It might be useful if we had an opportunity to discuss the progress towards the world millennium development goals, not just in this House but in Europe. I understand the former minister Eveline Herfkens was appointed to liaise with parliaments across Europe and elsewhere, to oversee the progress of the goals, one of which is the reduction in AIDS. Does the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, have any proposals to fill the gap in the pledged amount for AIDS? I understand what was pledged is less than 40% of what is required. That being the case, what specific proposals has he to deal with the shortfall, specifically the big gap looming regarding the large number of AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa? Survival is not the only issue they face, as it appears little provision is made for the further education of such orphans. I cannot remember the figure at present.

I sense the despair in the Taoiseach's comments on Mozambique. However, it was pointed out by one leading NGO that it is easier to buy small arms in Mozambique than it is to get loaves of bread, not to speak of retro-viral drugs. Is there to be a debate on where we are regarding the millennium development goals, specifically the AIDS goal? What specific provision is there on the level of United Nations contingency on the failure of the pledged funds to materialise and on the growing number of orphans not related to their communities for whom provision cannot be made?

As we enter the trade talks is it the case that patent rights on some drugs will finally be removed to enable countries to produce the drugs at much less cost?

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