Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 3: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he sees a role for Irish parliamentarians in Ireland and developing countries in the context of Ireland's efforts to help achieve the Millennium Goals; the position he will take at the upcoming high level forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea; the engagement he has had with Irish aid agencies in the preparation for this summit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33914/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, to be held in Busan at the end of this month, will be a milestone in the international effort to strengthen the quality of development assistance. The Government will be represented at this major international meeting by a delegation headed by the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. The delegation will include the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Breen, who will also attend the parliamentary forum at the Busan meeting.

Parliamentarians at home and in developing countries have a critical role to play in oversight and in holding Governments to account for the achievement of clear results from development assistance. Ireland is working to ensure that the outcome document from the meeting includes a firm commitment to strengthen the capacity of parliamentarians in developing countries to fulfil this role. We are also arguing that parliamentarians be included in existing forums on aid effectiveness at national level.

The Government has consulted widely in preparing for the forum. In addition to our discussions with Members of the Oireachtas, we have engaged with the higher education and research institutes and with Irish aid agencies. They have made valuable suggestions which we have taken on board in the ongoing negotiations on the final outcome text.

Ireland's position in Busan will be to focus on progress in poverty reduction and on the achievement of development results, particularly in fragile states. We are working to ensure that women and girls are more effectively prioritised in development. Other priorities include strengthening the transparency and accountability of development spending, reducing the bureaucracy of aid management and ensuring civil society can play its legitimate role as partners in poverty reduction.

I hope that the forum in Busan will mark a clear decisive move in placing the effectiveness of aid at the heart of development policy to accelerate progress towards achieving the millennium development goals.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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We know there will be so many demands on our budget and we are talking about cuts, but it is only moral and just that we should try to maintain our development aid budget. It is really important that such aid is effective. There is a definite role for Parliament since parliaments are different from governments.

I am glad the Minister is considering the progress being made, but in the draft outcome document the word "oversight" is still not included. We know of countries where the aid has been manipulated by governments and it is really important that it is validated by parliament so that the aid is distributed fairly and justly. The question is: will Ireland take a strong position at EU level before Busan to ensure that the word "oversight" is in the document?

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The officials of my Department have been actively engaged in the preparations for the Busan meeting over the past 12 months. Final negotiations on the outcome document will take place in Busan. In the meantime, a number of high-level officials from partner countries, donors, emerging economies and civil society are working on the text of the outcome document. Within this group, we are engaging actively with the EU and the Nordic Plus group of like-minded countries to ensure agreed priorities for the document are included in these negotiations. We are placing a particular emphasis on parliamentary scrutiny within the donor countries, for example, we have a robust committee system, and the receiving countries. The countries with which we partner must have developed parliamentary scrutiny systems to ensure the aid is used to its greatest effect.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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That is positive. I acknowledge the work of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, in the Association for European Parliamentarians with Africa, AWEPA. He has done a great deal to ensure the word "oversight" is included. I would hate to see his work undone.

I welcome that Deputy Breen will attend the parliamentary forum. It would be a great boost were the Tánaiste able to ask or encourage the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to attend as well, as her presence would give credence to our involvement with parliamentarians. Some 50 parliamentarians from the global south will attend, 20 of whom will be brought by AWEPA. Were the Minister of State able to attend, it would be a positive step.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, intends to take an active role at the meeting. I will ask her, but her attendance will depend on the schedule of meetings. As the Deputy knows, there are ministerial, governmental and parliamentary schedules at these types of event. Sometimes they overlap. I am sure the Minister of State will endeavour to liaise with Deputy Breen on what is happening and, in so far as she can, attend some of the parliamentary sessions.