Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

While there has been an improvement in Bangladesh and Mali when using the same index with the same indicators, we find that progress in India towards the relief of child malnutrition and infant mortality has stopped. Does the Minister of State favour the Department and in particular the development section evaluating the impact of some alternative economic models? Particularly in the case of India, the implications of a human rights approach towards development should include excluded castes as well as children and could consider the gender issue. Would the Minister of State agree that such studies would be a crucial contribution towards Ireland's overseas aid policy?

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