Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. On behalf of the Labour group in the Seanad, I also welcome the opportunity to lead the debate on the recent launch of Ireland's policy on international development. It is essential to any foreign affairs or trade process to have a roadmap covering the various issues that might affect the Department or the Third World. One World, One Future sets out the priorities of our overseas aid programme for the next four years.

I am a fervent supporter of our aid and international development agenda. I recognise the important role it plays on humanitarian grounds but also the significant part it plays in keeping Ireland’s international reputation right up there among the greatest benevolent countries in the world. We, the Irish people, should be incredibly proud of our achievements and the difference we are making in the lives of thousands, if not millions, of the world’s poorest people.

Having participated in a 2011 visit as part of an Oireachtas delegation to Ethiopia I can tell the Minister first-hand the remarkable work that is being done there. Some of the NGOs I visited were to the forefront of gender issues. Others were educating people to escape the poverty trap through entrepreneurial studies and link ups with University College Cork, UCC. I even happened to see the Irish potato being sown in the Tigray region, which was phenomenal, to say the least. All agencies are carrying out tremendous work and Ireland can be justifiably very proud for making such an indelible mark on Ethiopian society, among other countries that are part of our development aid programme. On a daily basis our aid, and the money we give to finance these programmes, is helping eradicate poverty and assist in building the necessary infrastructure. I am glad to see our commitment remain as steadfast as ever in 2013 and into the future through the publication of this policy document.

The effect of our commitment to development issues cannot be underestimated when it comes to building political capital with other countries worldwide. It puts us to the fore of exploring economic possibilities and opportunities with aid recipient countries. The key elements of this new policy will go a long way towards providing us with sight lines for fostering sustainable economic growth in our partner countries and providing focus on countries recovering from conflict and instability. The launch of a new volunteering initiative will help harness the experience of Irish people and institutions. Responding to the harmful impacts of climate change in poor countries has become a core priority of ours and the new policy also enhances openness, transparency and accountability, with all aid data to be published under the internationally agreed format by 2015. Promoting and protecting human rights, and addressing inequality, including gender inequality, have become key goals for us. It is clear that the Department is leaving nothing to chance through its multifaceted approach to dealing with the issues which affect those living in under-developed countries.

I will focus on the trade aspect for a few moments. There is no doubt that this is one of the defining characteristics of the next economy and that we fully recognise the essential role to be played by exports. If Ireland is to fully benefit from the transformational changes taking place in world markets, we must re-orientate our economy and the policies that shape it towards increasing our exports. I am very glad to see from this policy document that this is an integral part of the strategy. We must be mindful that Germany came out of the great recession through the force of an export sector that constitutes half of its economy. The top 30 performing metropolitan areas in the world are almost all located in the emerging markets of Asia and South America, while the 30 poorest performers were nearly all located in Europe and the US. This means that as nations around the world leave development programmes as they urbanise and accelerate their growth, they are creating markets for our products. On that basis we must continue to foster trade links with these countries.

In the past, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, and the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, published the Africa strategy which was essentially a stepping stone to the meatier One World, One Future, and this provides us with new political, development and business possibilities within the African continent. Enterprise Ireland and the industrial development agency, IDA Ireland, have a significant role to play here. They must seek out trade development opportunities in aid programme countries. Not only would the benefits be enormous to the aid countries in that they could find new markets for their goods and produce, but we would also benefit in circumstances where we would also have equal markets.

While trade development may not be possible in some countries immediately, we should look at developing and forging links now. Many economies in Africa are growing by 5% per annum, and consumer spending is forecast to double in the next ten years. From my experience of travelling to Ethiopia with an Oireachtas delegation, its economy is growing at 8% per annum and while this growth is starting from an incredibly low base, we also have to look at the fact that there will be possibilities which will be mutually beneficial to all in the forthcoming years. A way of fostering such links is through engaging in a link-up between the major urban centres in Ireland and these countries, particularly those from the BRIC, Brazil, Russia, India and China, countries where their political, economic, social and trading relationships worldwide are evolving.

Ireland has a world-class reputation as being a very generous overseas aid donor, and I think we owe each and every Irish citizen, as custodians of their money, as transparent and effective a system as possible. I see in One World, One Future that this is very much part and parcel of the agenda by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Last year the integrity of our aid agenda took a serious hit when disturbing revelations were unearthed about money being misappropriated in Uganda. That was very much a one-off case. We have never had a history of this nature in the Department. It is vitally important that deserving countries and programmes do not suffer as a result of mistakes made by others. That is why there is a particular focus on openness, transparency and accountability in this policy, with all aid data to be published under the internationally agreed format by 2015. This must be welcomed wholeheartedly.

As well as being very generous donors, Irish people also have a strong reputation for going abroad to underdeveloped regions to carry out charitable work. For that reason I am delighted to see a new volunteering initiative will be launched as part of our four-year strategy to harness the experience of Irish people and institutions. I hope this will lead to even more people going abroad to help those most in need in the years ahead.

This policy has a keen focus on sustainability, which has been to the forefront of many international debates recently. That means that not only do we want to help tackle poverty and hunger, but also to give people the skills and tools to address it in the long term and to deal with climate change as it arises. We need to look at what is causing poverty, so impoverished countries can chart a future where they will be aid free. It is imperative that the international community work together in solidarity to achieve the same goals of this policy, One World, One Future, which the Government has published. The main goals of reduced hunger and stronger resilience, sustainable development and inclusive economic growth, and better governance, human rights and accountability, portray clearly the essence of this policy. The Minister of State, the Tánaiste, the Department and all its officials need to be lauded for this. These issues are focused on because of the sense of justice and compassion fostered by our mutual histories of famine, suppression and conflict, and because it is the right thing to do.