Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

I ask the Minister of State if Ireland Aid is interested in establishing a special study on the issue of land ownership, taking specific account of recipient countries of Irish aid in Africa. This is in the context of investment of outside countries such as Saudi Arabia, China and others, and also the recycling of what might be regarded by many people as dubious oil revenues into the purchase of land. Such purchase comes at the cost of the capacity of those who are occupying the land in order produce their own food, bring it to market and so on. This is a question of respect for tribal and ethnic common ownership of land. The other side of that is to address the issue of those in the slums who are without title to their shanty existence.

See this speech in context