Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State rightly draws attention to the proud record Irish Aid has in regard to our overseas development aid programme. I know that we like to try to fund multiannual projects which is right and correct. However, exceptional measures will need to be taken for the forthcoming food shortages. We also need to look forward in respect of climate shocks, which are mentioned in the programme for Government. While we did not anticipate this level of military crisis, climate shocks are going to affect agriculture in developing countries even more than they will affect us here. We are going to have to take emergency measures to feed the world's poorest. Unfortunately, as with all of these things, the worst effects of this crisis are going to be played out among the populations least able to afford them. We really need to be planning ahead and seeing what we can do as an admittedly small country to help in this matter.

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