Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the success to date of the international community's efforts to combat AIDS in Africa; his views as to the most effective procedures to be followed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13463/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent information and statistics on the HIV-AIDS epidemic are contained in the annual report, AIDS Epidemic Update 2005, released by the joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, and the World Health Organisation, WHO. This report noted progress in declining HIV infection rates in a number of countries and increasing access to HIV treatment.

Adult HIV infection rates have decreased in certain countries and changes in behaviour to prevent infection have played a key part in these declines. In Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe are all showing declines in HIV prevalence. In Kenya, adult infection rates have decreased from a peak of 10% in the late 1990s to 7% in 2003; in Uganda, from more than 15% to 7% today and in Zimbabwe, from 26% in 2002 to 21% in 2004. The UNAIDS report also recognises that access to HIV treatment has improved markedly over the past two years, especially in developing countries. The number of people receiving combination anti-retroviral therapy, ART, for HIV/AIDS has more than doubled from 400,000 in 2003 to approximately 1 million in 2005. In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of people receiving ART has tripled within a period of one year and it now reaches approximately 500,000 people.

The reality, however, is that the AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip global and national efforts to contain it. The overall number of people living with HIV has continued to increase in all regions of the world except the Caribbean. There were an additional 5 million new infections in 2005, the majority in women. The number of people living with HIV globally has reached its highest level, with more than 40 million people now infected. More than 3 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2005, including more than 500,000 children. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV.

In addition to a long-term sustained attack on poverty, a rapid increase in the scale and scope of HIV prevention programmes is urgently needed to stop the speed at which new infections are occurring. This needs to take place in the context of a comprehensive response to HIV and AIDS, which requires the simultaneous acceleration of treatment and prevention efforts with the ultimate goal of universal access to prevention, treatment and care.

Ireland has a strong commitment to addressing HIV/AIDS. It is a key priority for Irish Aid's policies and programmes. The Taoiseach, in his speech to the United Nations in September 2005, reaffirmed Ireland's commitment to HIV/AIDS and announced a new initiative on HIV/AIDS and other global communicable diseases. This will bring funding for these diseases up to €100 million per year. This initiative will focus on tackling the major diseases affecting developing countries, including HIV/AIDS. It will build on Ireland's existing support at international, regional and country level and will afford Ireland a stronger voice in international policy dialogue and advocacy for co-ordinated and effective action on HIV/AIDS.

Ireland will continue to work with the international community in advocating for a sustained and resourced global response to HIV/AIDS, strengthened leadership at all levels and improved co-ordination of resources and planning for HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of aid given directly and indirectly to the Eritrean region by the Government for the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. [13472/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland provides no humanitarian or development funding directly to the government of Eritrea. Ireland provided total funding assistance of more than €8 million toEritrea for the period 2001-2005 inclusive. The breakdown of funding provided by year is shown in the table.

Funding was provided to Ireland's key NGO and UN partners working on the ground in Eritrea on a range of humanitarian and developmental projects. Funding was also provided through the multi-annual programme scheme, MAPS, which aims to provide more strategic and programmatic funding to NGO partners. Ireland funds the work of Concern and Self Help Development International, SHDI, in Eritrea in this regard. Other funding support was provided to UN agencies, including the World Food Programme, WFP, and UNICEF, working to provide humanitarian relief to vulnerable, food insecure populations across Eritrea.

The Government is continuing to keep the humanitarian situation in Eritrea under close review in the context of the current drought which is affecting the Horn of Africa region and for which, to date, Ireland has provided assistance of €5 million. With its EU partners, Ireland has sought to encourage Eritrea to engage with the international community on the peaceful resolution of its border disputes. Ireland remains concerned about the internal political situation and issues surrounding human rights in Eritrea. It has conveyed these concerns through diplomatic channels to the Eritrean authorities.