Seanad debates
Wednesday, 27 November 2002
Overseas Development Aid: Motion.
I am glad the Minister mentioned the group from Galway whose members have been writing to public representatives to say that UNFPA money is being used for abortions. That is absolute rubbish and I am extremely glad the Minister scotched the story. It saves me putting on record the full text of a letter I received from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen. I wrote to him when I got the letter from Galway, but not in the terms the people in Galway would have appreciated. I sought clarification and I received a clear, forthright and detailed letter from the Minister in which he indicated that he would be making representations to the Americans. They have behaved in a disgraceful manner by cutting funding for UNFPA under the Bush Administration. This is the advice we should be giving to our American friends.
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