Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As everybody knows, we have a long missionary tradition, particularly in Africa but also in many other areas such as Asia and South America. When we joined the European Economic Community in 1973, one of the conditions was to have a development programme. Every member state of the European Union has a development programme, including Ireland. Targets were set by the United Nations, and agreed by the European Union, that the top 15 member states of the European Union should have a target for development aid of 0.7% of gross national income. Only a couple of countries in the European Union have reached this, namely, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, which is outside the European Union, and the United Kingdom, which reached the target this year. The United Kingdom was at the same level of approximately 0.5% as us last year, but it has made a big push to increase it under the new Conservative government. It is considering introducing legislation to make it mandatory for future governments to have a minimum of 0.7%. This is the direction it is going although it has difficulties at present. Other countries have not been able to maintain the level expected.

Our commitment in the programme for Government is to reach 0.7% by 2015. It will be difficult to reach this target. We have been endeavouring to hold it at more or less the same level. It is slightly less than 0.5% at present and has reduced by 32% since 2008. We have lost one third of what the programme was in the halcyon days of 2008 when it was at €900,000, and it is now at approximately €622,000. This is the background and context.

Two thirds of the funding goes to NGOs or bilaterally to the various partner countries. We have nine partner countries and all except Vietnam are in sub-Saharan Africa. These are the poorest countries in the world according to the human development index, and we have deliberately targeted them because we have a legacy in this respect. Hunger and nutrition are core elements of our policy. We are recognised globally as world leaders on hunger and nutrition, and this is part of our legacy from the Famine. We prioritise the 1,000 days from pregnancy to two years of age. We work with a number of governments, including that of the United States. This happened first under the Fianna Fáil-led Government in 2010 when Deputy Micheál Martin and Hillary Clinton came together. In many ways the United States has provided most of the funding while we have provided policy and it has worked out very well. It is now regarded as the most important of all programmes implemented. It is at the cutting edge and other countries are getting involved. We will mark the third anniversary of the programme in June in Washington. It is a real winner. Half of this two thirds of the funding goes to our embassies in each programme countries, which manage the programmes. Approximately 36% of the total goes to NGOs and approximately 30% goes to multilateral agencies such as the United Nations, UNICEF and the food programme, which deal with those in greatest need. For example, all of Gaza is run by UNRWA.

We are very much involved in formulating policies, and under our Presidency not only are we formulating EU policy for the coming years, but we are close to the heart of formulating global policy, because we are linking to the millennium development goals which will last for the next 15 years. We have been tic-tacing with the United Nations, USAID and the European Union and we hope to sign off a EU policy with Council decisions on 28 May which will be brought to United Nations which is broadly in acceptance. Our influence on multilateral policy is huge. It is important that we make a contribution.

Our policy on economic development is built on the 2006 White Paper, in particular with regard to nutrition and hunger. We have expanded into climate change because there is a necessary linkage. We must be at the cutting edge in fragile states where poverty is greatest. We may consider moving to a different degree in some of the countries we are in at present and focus on bringing embassies to more fragile states, a number of which exist, to ensure humanitarian development which builds into sustainable and economic development. There is continuum in our thinking.

We very much champion the idea of trade and development; there is no question of aid on its own being able to bring developing countries out of poverty. We must engage the private sector and provide experience and our expertise in a whole of Government approach. We will make trade, development and investment more critical parts of our contribution than has been the case in the past. This builds up the economies of countries which need economic engagement, partnership and investment, which we have not done in the past. We have concentrated on development. As well as developing the countries, this is also of benefit to us. Last week, the Irish Exporters Association stated our exports to Africa are worth €2.7 billion and have grown 200% in the past two years. People do not know this. The association predicts by the end of the decade, which is only seven years away, our exports to Africa will be approximately €24 billion. At present, I am engaged in building hubs and bases in Africa and we have a big base in South Africa.

We are dealing with Africa as a continent in terms of trade and development using the Africa strategy which compliments what we have always done with Irish Aid which remains untied. We are creating the right environment in our embassies through Irish business networks and our global network in order for Irish business to go to Africa. At present about 200 Irish businesses are engaging with us, interest is growing and they want to be involved in Africa. A whole new dimension is being created which will be in the interest of all of the African countries that have rapidly grown from a very low base of 5%. It is predicted that these emerging economies will continue to grow. Our engaging with them will be in their interest and also in our interest. We have a new policy and direction and, to a large degree, are influencing what is happening in Europe and the rest of the world.

If time was available I would have loved to have answered all of the points that were made. Perhaps I shall get an opportunity to do so at another time. I thank Senators for their contributions. Irish Aid is doing very good work throughout the world for the people most in need.