Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I completely agree with Deputy Timmins's praise for the WFP. I have long been a supporter of it. Deputy Timmins said that climate change has led to droughts and other climate-related difficulties in major cereal-producing countries such as Australia and Ukraine. The switch from the production of cereals as foodstuffs to the production of bio-fuels, most notably in the US where a Government subsidy is being used to promote bio-fuel production in a drive for energy security, has led to a reduction in the supply of food. The current food crisis is caused by a reduction in supply coupled with an increase in demand, which has triggered a steep rise in price. There is a close link between energy prices and food prices. I would like to continue to support the World Food Programme.

The Deputy mentioned Tanzania. I accompanied the Taoiseach to Tanzania in January and while we were there news of a scandal in the Tanzania Central Bank broke and the director of the bank resigned. The prime minster and other ministers resigned over it. The Tanzanian Government is working towards tackling corruption. I do not know if what the Tanzanian Government has done to address such corruption would happen in many member states of the European Union. It has taken action, dealt with the bank and with the Ministers who were involved in such corruption.

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