Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on his good work in drawing attention to various aspects of Third World development and his openness to meeting various groups. It is very encouraging to many of us who are involved in various Third World and developing world initiatives and related matters that the Minister of State makes himself available to meet people and tries to see exactly how the system is working.

I have the view that if we could apply the Treaty of Rome to the world, we could solve much poverty overnight. In other words, if we could do for the world what Europe did for Ireland by having free movement of labour and goods, this in effect would sort out many of our problems. The major problem relates to trade. People in the Third World can produce but they do not have the opportunity to export their goods for sale in the developed world. Moreover, they must deal with the problem of dumping in their own countries. Countries in the west can produce cheaply and dump the goods abroad if they cannot sell them at home, which is also an important issue.

There is much artificiality with regard to prices. In a form of reverse psychology, if one allowed the market to do its own thing European farmers would be entitled at present to sell abroad because there is a shortage of food in the world. We need to deal with a number of issues and in particular we need to open up trade. This is why Fairtrade is important. We know when buying a Fairtrade product that we are supporting a real initiative on the ground and that the people who produced the product we are eating or using have been paid properly, dealt with properly and have rights.

Is not the real issue of fair trade that human and civil rights are inextricably linked? It was appalling to hear another report from China this morning about a plan to set up yet another flooded area in the southern part of the country which will drive people out of their homes and farms. No permission is required and the Government will not even compensate people nor give them land instead. In addition, the local media is not allowed to report on the matter or discuss it.

Fairtrade brings education in terms of how we allow people and train people to improve themselves. That is something we should examine. Fair trade is part of the work voluntary groups do in the developing world. They show people how to use the land, how to understand agriculture and horticulture and how to fish.

The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Kitt, is younger than I but he may recall one of the first slogans used by Trócaire about it being better to teach people how to fish than to give them fish. This is part of the same thing. Instead of simply giving charity we are involved in trade and in giving people an opportunity to express themselves and to develop. We can help people by allowing them to participate in the world of trade. In that sense, each one of the groups to which the Minister of State referred has made an extraordinary contribution. I have been involved with a number of them, especially the ICTU but Comhlámh and others also. They have been working assiduously, quietly and with extraordinary energy and commitment over the years.

I return to the issue of education and how we can train people and give them every opportunity. If we can ensure that the new generation in the Third World are healthy and educated they will find their way. As part of the Fairtrade initiative we should bring people to Ireland where they can learn about the principles of agriculture. I do not suggest that they should learn to till the fields and do Irish dancing but they should attend agricultural colleges and horticultural colleges and learn about farm management and the appropriate skills they need to bring back to their countries and to learn the theory behind the application of agriculture.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to speak for a few minutes. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Kitt, and congratulate him on the work he is doing. This House supports strongly the Fairtrade mark and all that it is achieving. We also congratulate the people involved on the great work they are doing.