Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 111: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to increase the number of programme countries to a minimum of ten by 2012. [20303/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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In 2007 Malawi became Irish Aid's ninth Programme Country. An Irish Embassy has been established in Lilongwe. In 2008 it is expected that Ireland will provide approximately €10 million for Malawi, targeted in particular at helping vulnerable communities in the areas of food security, livelihoods and protection against the effects of natural disasters. In parallel, a longer term bilateral development cooperation programme is currently being prepared. This will involve the commitment of significant levels of funding in support of efforts by the Government and people of Malawi to advance their national development.

Preliminary work has also been carried out on identifying a tenth Programme Country with a view to meeting the commitment in the Programme for Government. In line with the White Paper on Irish Aid, Africa will remain the primary geographic focus for Ireland's development programme. Selecting additional countries as long-term partners provides an important platform to translate Ireland's increased expenditure in this area into efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to spend at least €100 million per annum combating HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases in the developing world. [20304/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Recent data released by the United Nations Joint Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) show that the global HIV prevalence — the number of people living with HIV — has levelled off and that the number of new infections has fallen. This is primarily due to much improved surveillance methodologies along with some positive impacts of HIV programmes. However, in 2007 over 33 million people were living with HIV, 2.5 million became newly infected and over 2 million people died of AIDS related illnesses. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the most severely affected region in the world and is home to over 22 million people living with HIV or 68% of the global total. AIDS remains the primary cause of death in Africa.

Responding to the global problem of HIV and AIDS is a key priority for the Government as clearly stated in the Programme for Government. The former Taoiseach's commitment to spend €100 million per year on addressing HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases has been reached and expenditure is now in excess of €100 million. Ireland now leads the way within the European Union in terms of the proportion of its overseas development assistance allocated to HIV and other diseases of poverty. This funding is saving lives through advocacy, education, treatment and assisting those living with HIV and AIDS.

Ireland's assistance is directed at programmes at country, regional and international levels and is ensuring that increasing numbers of people are accessing quality HIV and AIDS and other health services. Most of Ireland's assistance is targeted at those countries most affected by the pandemic including Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zambia and Malawi. Ireland continues to promote the need for leadership and engagement at the highest political level internationally, in order to reverse the trend of this pandemic. Ireland is, in many ways, leading by example.

Ireland is, for instance, the first country to sign a three year agreement with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. Signed in April, this agreement will see Ireland's contribution to the Fund reaching €90 million over the next three years. Almost 60% of Global Fund resources are allocated to sub-Saharan Africa and to date it is estimated that the Fund has saved over 1.8 million lives. In partnership with the Clinton Foundation Ireland has increased its funding to the Governments of Mozambique and Lesotho to improve the accessibility of HIV treatment in rural areas and in particular to women and children. In Mozambique, over 78,000 people are now on HIV treatment, up from less than 2,000 people at the end of 2002. In Lesotho, following one year of operation, 4 health facilities have been refurbished and over 2,500 people are accessing HIV treatment including 100 children. Ireland has prioritised the needs of children in its work on HIV and AIDS. It is the only country to target 20% of its increased funding to interventions that will benefit children.

In recognition of Ireland's leadership in this area, we have been requested to host the fourth Global Partners Forum on Children affected by HIV and AIDS. Working in cooperation with UNICEF and scheduled for October, this forum will bring together high level decision makers from both developed and developing countries to debate the best approaches to ensuring the protection of children living in a world with HIV and AIDS. The Government is committed to continuing its work to address HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases and to ensuring that men, women and children get access to quality health and HIV services.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to develop programmes to assist both individuals and institutions to participate in the aid programme. [20305/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Irish Aid provides support, through the Civil Society Fund and Micro Projects Scheme, to over 160 organisations, including academic institutions, community groups and volunteer based organisations as well as professionally staffed non-governmental organisations. The Civil Society Fund has co-funded development interventions from many sectors of Irish society including applications from the legal, medical, construction and information technology areas. In addition the Micro-Projects Scheme, established in 2006, supports the development activities of smaller Irish organisations. This scheme was established in recognition of the great interest that exists amongst individuals, organisations and communities in Ireland who want to make their own contribution to development.

The Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre which was opened by the former Taoiseach in January provides information and guidance on all aspects of the Irish Aid programme. In particular, it works to raise awareness of how individuals and organisations can volunteer and get involved in development work. To date, the Centre has facilitated over seventy five meetings and events on development related issues, held seven temporary exhibitions and hosted over sixty five schools groups involving 1,200 pupils. About 700 visitors use the Centre each week.

A programme of Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education Research Institutions was launched in 2006. The overall aim is to support Irish Aid's policy objectives in reducing poverty through collaborative research and academic exchange programmes initiated by Irish third level institutions. The Programme ultimately aims to promote capacity building in higher education and research institutions in developing countries. The thematic areas that activities focus on include health, HIV and AIDS, infectious diseases, education, food and livelihood security, pro-poor economic growth, governance and gender equality. The programme is managed by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) on behalf of Irish Aid.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to develop regional aid programmes in southern and western Africa to address transnational threats such as disease and food insecurity. [20306/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's White Paper on Irish Aid strongly affirms that Africa will remain the principal focus of Ireland's official aid programme in the years ahead. It is in Africa that progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals is slowest. The majority of the 50 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are located in Africa. Approximately 80% of Ireland's Overseas Development Assistance goes to Africa. It is by continuing to focus on that continent that Ireland's development assistance can best respond to the needs of the world's poorest people and make a real difference in their lives.

The White Paper on Irish Aid and the Programme for Government include a commitment to support regional development programmes to address issues which do not respect national borders. A number of programmes are now funded which have a regional focus, particularly in the humanitarian area, including food security and HIV/AIDS. It is intended that an enhanced regional programme will be developed in the next 2 years and a small task team has been established to progress this objective, including the placement of a senior official in Africa to drive this forward.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to ensure funding mechanisms for non-governmental organisations are accessible and simplified. [20307/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Irish Aid is committed to supporting civil society organisations as partners in the attainment of the Millennium Declaration and associated goals to reduce global poverty. Irish Aid currently provides development funding to NGOs through a number of schemes in support of their work in developing countries. The Multi-annual Programmes Scheme (MAPS) and Civil Society Fund (CSF) are the main conduits for Irish civil society organisations to access Irish Aid funding for overseas development work. Irish Aid also supports the work of missionaries through the Irish Missionary Resource Service (IMRS).

In 2008 €139 million will be disbursed by Civil Society Section to NGOs and missionary organisations in support of their work in developing countries, compared to €121 million in 2007. Additional funding is being delivered through other mechanisms. MAPS is an innovative multi-annual programme scheme introduced in 2003 which aims to provide predictable long term funding for five key NGO partners. To be eligible for MAPS, some of the key criteria are previous significant experience and relationship with Irish Aid over a 5 year time frame; the capacity to raise up to 30% of total income from voluntary funds raised in Ireland; the capacity and scale to work programmatically and coherence with MAPS objectives.

Five year multi-annual agreements to provide predictable budgetary support have been agreed with Christian Aid, Concern, GOAL and Trócaire for the period 2007-2011. Discussions on the completion of a multi-annual agreement with Self Help Development International (SHDI) are ongoing. In line with the commitment under the Programme for Government, Irish Aid has commenced the process of assessing three potential new NGO partners for inclusion in the MAPS scheme. As recently as 2006, the new Civil Society Fund was introduced which significantly rationalised the previous range of funding schemes. The Civil Society Fund, which features a streamlined application and appraisal process, is designed to provide resources more effectively and efficiently for the development activities of civil society organisations. Since its establishment, over €100 million has been allocated under the CSF to fund development interventions by NGOs.

In addition, the CSF also provides that on the basis of a successful track record of previous implementation, successful organisations may be invited by Irish Aid to apply for a multi-annual block grant. This allows for a more programmatic approach by the organisation with administrative gains, security of funding for the period and increased autonomy. Irish Aid also established, in 2006, the Micro-Projects Scheme to support the development activities of smaller Irish organisations. This scheme was established in recognition of the great interest that exists among organisations and communities in Ireland which want to make their own contribution to development. The maximum grant is €20,000.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to act on the findings of the hunger task force. [20308/08]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The establishment of a Hunger Task Force was one of the recommendations of the White Paper on Irish Aid published in September 2006 and was one of the priorities included in the current Programme for Government. The aim of the Hunger Task Force is to identify the additional, appropriate and effective contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce hunger. The Hunger Task Force members include a number of renowned national and international experts in the field of food security and development. Since its inception the Hunger Task Force has held a number of meetings in both Dublin and Cork, and made a special field study trip to Malawi in February of this year.

The Hunger Task Force is expected to issue its report around the middle of 2008. The report will outline a number of key actions which Ireland can take to accelerate the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of those who suffer from hunger by 2015. Once this report is issued, the Government will examine the recommendations and will determine how best to act upon them.