Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Specific questions on energy matters are best put to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, who can outline the current situation in more accurate detail than I.

In regard to the meeting last July with the Secretary General, the latter was quite praiseworthy of the progress Ireland has made in recent years in terms both of increasing the volume of our overseas development aid and enhancing the efficacy of how we work with United Nations agencies in its disbursement. Ireland is seen as a very good global citizen in that respect. While everybody acknowledges the budgetary problems that are affecting all developed economies, there is recognition that Ireland has made a series of huge strides in moving up the list of developed countries in terms of our provision of overseas development aid as a proportion of overall gross national product. Far from being subject to criticism in this regard, the contrary was the case. The Secretary General referred to the continuing commitment Ireland has demonstrated in this area, particularly in the past decade, as shown by the considerable resources we have allocated and the capacity-building in which we have engaged.

In particular, there is welcome recognition of the work being done by the hunger task force which we launched last year. The United Nations understands the focus we are trying to bring to that issue, as well as our focus on the need to assist smallholders in Africa, to deal with malnutrition, both maternal and infant, and the whole question of governance and the more effective tackling of global hunger issues by multilateral organisations, quite apart from bilateral aid programmes. The United Nations regards Ireland's endeavours in this area as one of the best examples of a developing aid programme. We are working with multilateral organisations to identify priority countries and are working closely with other contributors of development aid in those countries so that the maximum possible effectiveness can be achieved in respect of the overall development effort not only by Ireland but by the other contributing countries.

In regard to the British-Irish Council, the agenda for next Friday's meeting has already has been set and I understand it would not be possible for an announcement that was made yesterday to form part of that agenda. We have had a view in regard to nuclear power in our jurisdiction, as well as concerns about nuclear generation in the neighbouring jurisdiction. That general policy position still holds, although I note, as the Deputy did, yesterday's announcement by the British Government.

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