Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)

I will. I was asked what was the reason for aid being given with one hand but taken away with the other. One of the greatest challenges we face is the issue of policy coherence for development as although we are good at protecting our own interests, we sometimes do not protect those of developing countries. I wish to praise the outstanding work carried out by Irish Aid to assist developing countries. My question pertains to the interdepartmental committee that was set up in 1997, which is chaired by the Minister of State and brings together a wealth of people with experience. I understand this committee has only met 11 times since its establishment in 1997. How many times did it meet over the last 12 months? How effective has the committee been thus far?

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