Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way the implementation of the recommendations of the hunger task force report will be affected by the reduction of 16% in spending on global hunger initiatives in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13251/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to giving effect to the recommendations of the report of the hunger task force which we commissioned and which was launched by the Taoiseach at the UN in New York in September 2008 in the presence of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In particular, we continue to work on the three priority areas identified, namely, increasing smallholder agricultural productivity in Africa; targeting under-nutrition, especially maternal and infant; and promoting governance and leadership action on tackling global hunger.

Combating hunger is one of the cornerstones of our development programme and our foreign policy. We are making good progress in implementing the recommendations of the hunger task force report across the overseas development assistance programme funded and delivered through my Department. Ireland's special envoy on hunger, Kevin Farrell, will report on delivery against our objectives later this year. We have undertaken to direct approximately 20% of my Department's Irish Aid budget at hunger and hunger related actions by 2012. We are firmly on track to meet this target notwithstanding the current difficult economic circumstances.

Irish Aid funding for global hunger initiatives, including pro-poor agricultural research, is expected to reach €9.7 million this year. Global hunger initiatives are just one area of the overall response to hunger. Additional resources are now being focused on hunger reduction initiatives in our programme countries, particularly Malawi and Tanzania.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister elucidate where the specific cuts outlined in the budget for the hunger task force will be made in the context of the implementation of the three key measures he has just spelled out?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The main point is that we are on target to reach the target of 20% of our overall budget being spent on hunger. The other point is that it is not just in that programme that the money on hunger is spent. In Malawi, for example, the entire programme is now focused on hunger, while in Tanzania, we have been asked by all the other donors to become the lead donor on agriculture. Notwithstanding the broader reductions, hunger has been identified and prioritised as the key issue for our programme. We have a clear international target to achieve that result and we are well on the way to achieving the 20% target.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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There is broad agreement within Fine Gael as to the direction. The Minister referred to Tanzania, which is a very good example in that we are becoming the head donor in the area of agriculture. It makes good sense for the public as well because they see it as a natural area for Ireland to lead and show direction.

What concerns me are the cuts in regard to implementation in the three areas specifically outlined by the Minister. How will we reach those targets if that kind of cut is implemented?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Those three targeted areas covered the programme country budgets as well. As I said, we have prioritised the hunger aspect. There may be other aspects of the programme apart from hunger that will not do as well as the area of hunger, given the focus on it, but increasing smallholder agricultural productivity will not suffer, for example.

Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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In addition to the three priority areas the Minister outlined, is much consideration being given to the role of GM foods in regard to tackling global hunger? I ask this because we are all conscious of the reality that there is a shortage in food production, so it is not simply a question of investment and funding but also a question of production. Has the Minister a view on this issue?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Governments of each region and country have to make their decisions in regard to the issue of GM food, as does the European Union. In many underdeveloped parts of the world, by any observation, GM could very well provide part of the solution. However, our assistance concerns the more conventional form of crop production, improved agricultural techniques and improving the lot of the smallholder agricultural groupings, which are made up largely of women in smallholdings across Africa. GM is a great distance from that reality. It is a wider issue that is dealt with at global level and by Governments, and each Government will take its own position on it. It is not a part of this agenda.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I will outline a Labour Party difference on this matter. Given that the impact of GM provision in regard to Africa is usually construed in terms of its adding to the volume of food that might be available rather than the production of food, given the available evidence in regard to the climate changes between, for example, the major rains and the short rains and given the fact most communities save the end part of their seed for the future crop, it would disastrous for many African countries if they were in possession of blind seed. It would, in fact, be a recipe for starvation.

Given the increase in food productivity in West Africa, does the Minister agree that 80% of the increase is being brought about by women who actually practice in the fields but who do not own anything? I believe the Minister will agree it is a matter for each country to be able to respect the integrity of its producing population by not having blind seed or committing themselves to patents to purchase seed, the patents of which are owned by multinationals abroad.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I agree. On this issue, I refer Deputy Creighton to the hunger task force report. In our recent discussions with the US Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton, the focus was on how we can enhance agricultural crop production techniques for smallholders, the vast majority of whom are women. In an earlier portfolio, I commissioned the Chief Scientific Adviser to prepare a paper on GM. It is good reading.

P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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What about the small farmers of this country?

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The small farmers of west Cork produce a robust and resilient crop.