Written answers

Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Department of Foreign Affairs

Overseas Development Aid

8:00 pm

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the research programme proposed for Irish Aid in the coming year; and if such a programme includes research on technology transfer, good governance, or strategies for indigenous development. [30889/07]

Photo of Michael KittMichael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The high quality of Ireland's aid programme is recognised internationally. In ensuring that Irish assistance is of the highest quality, Irish Aid recognises the importance of research in order to ensure that decisions are informed by a strong evidence base. In the coming year, Irish Aid will continue to invest in practical research, through a variety of partnerships and networks in a range of priority areas.

For example one of the key priority areas outlined in the White Paper on Irish Aid is addressing the global HIV and AIDS pandemic. Irish Aid will continue to support investment into the research and development of new prevention technologies in pursuit of a cure for AIDS. Funding will be provided to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and the International Partnership for Microbicides. Both organisations are involved in clinical trials of new candidate vaccines and microbicides leading to the potential for new products to prevent the spread of HIV.

In 2008, Irish Aid will continue to support a range of operational research to evaluate the impact of global and country HIV initiatives it funds. One example is support for the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS which engages practitioners, policymakers, and scholars in collaborative problem-solving, research, and analysis to address the needs of children living in the context of HIV/AIDS.

In order to address food insecurity and hunger, we will continue to support the network of agricultural research institutions known as CGIAR (the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). The aim of this work is the production of pro-poor agricultural research that makes a difference in the food security status of the poorest people in the world.

At country level, support will be provided for research prioritised by local and national partners that will contribute to indigenous solutions to addressing poverty. For example in Uganda we will provide support for a local NGO, Raising Voices, for research on effective community based interventions to prevent gender based violence.

In South Africa, where challenges persist in delivering water and sanitation services to rural populations, Irish Aid plans to support a three year research programme through the Water Research Commission. The research will focus the development and transfer of technology for improved water quality, sustainable sanitation and franchising of water services. Models developed through this research will have practical application in the Irish Aid water and sanitation programme in Limpopo Province.

Irish Aid also supports research commissioned by the Advisory Board for Irish Aid (ABIA). In the coming year the Board will, inter alia, fund ongoing research in the areas of policy coherence, measuring the impact of aid, and good governance. A range of partners will be involved including Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin.

The research on good governance arises from the growing concerns about the impact of governance on the delivery of aid. The research will focus on these issues both from the perspective of donors, including Irish Aid, and that of recipient governments.

Research is an important tool in learning new and better ways of delivering aid more efficiently and effectively. In the development context it is essential that it is focused and practically oriented and can provide decision makers with the information to make better and more informed judgements. I believe that the research funded by Irish Aid scores very well on these criteria.

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