Written answers

Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Department of Foreign Affairs

Overseas Development Aid

9:00 pm

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the percentage of the overall aid budget for Timor Leste that comes from the Irish State; the countries which are the other major aid contributors to Timor Leste; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1921/09]

Photo of Dan NevilleDan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount that has been appropriated to Timor Leste since 2005; the progress made to date with that financial assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1920/09]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 139 together.

Ireland established a humanitarian and reconstruction assistance programme in Timor Leste in November 2000. In March 2003, Timor-Leste was designated Ireland's first Programme Country in Asia, with a commitment to long term strategic assistance. Since 2005, through the Government's aid programme, Irish Aid, we have provided total funding of €25.1 million for Timor Leste. This includes funding agreed under the Irish Aid programme budget, emergency and humanitarian relief, support for civil society and assistance for conflict resolution initiatives.

Irish Aid is an important international donor to Timor Leste, working in partnership with the Government of the country, and cooperating with the other major international donors. These include Australia, Portugal, Japan, the United States, the European Union, Norway, Germany and New Zealand. Seven years since Timor Leste achieved independence, following years of conflict, it remains the least developed country in Asia, with a young population, high unemployment, poor infrastructure and a largely subsistence economy. We are committed to continuing our support for the government and people of Timor Leste in reducing overall poverty levels and making real progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Ireland's assistance to date has focused on supporting the new institutions of government, strengthening democracy, promoting human rights and the justice sector and strengthening civil society. We have also been working closely in support of those in Government and civil society who are addressing the difficult legacy of conflict across the country. This work is being led by the Conflict Resolution Unit established in my Department, with a particularly important contribution by Nuala O'Loan, whom the Government appointed as Special Envoy to Timor Leste in February last year.

Photo of Tom HayesTom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to amend the spending priorities of Irish Aid in view of the recommendations of the hunger task force report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1917/09]

Photo of Deirdre CluneDeirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he is taking to fully implement the recommendations of the hunger task force report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1916/09]

Photo of P J SheehanP J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount it will cost to implement the recommendations of the hunger task force report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1918/09]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 142 and 154 together.

The Report of the Government's Hunger Task Force (HTF), presented to the Taoiseach on 25 September 2008 at the United Nations in New York, focussed on three specific thematic areas which, if addressed globally, will make an effective contribution to reducing world hunger. These three thematic areas are:

increasing smallholder agricultural productivity in Africa;

targeting maternal and infant under-nutrition; and

global leadership actions to tackling hunger, including making hunger a priority, particularly by ensuring that donor and recipient governments fulfil their commitments to its eradication.

I welcome this focused approach and agree with the HTF that progress in these three areas will have a real impact.

I am happy to report that we are already implementing key recommendations of the HTF Report. We are supporting, and will continue to support, smallholder and women farmers to intensify their agricultural productivity and produce more food. We are funding pro-poor agricultural research which helps farmers to increase productivity and become food sufficient. We are supporting nutritional interventions, especially those which target infant and maternal malnutrition. We are funding Non Governmental Organisations working with farmers to increase their productivity.

In line with a key recommendation of the Hunger Task Force, a Special Envoy for Hunger was appointed last week. Mr Kevin Farrell, formerly of the World Food Programme, will work closely with my team in the Department and Irish Aid to bring the Hunger Task Force Report forward. His enormous experience in dealing with hunger in some of the most difficult operating environments such as Zimbabwe will be a real asset in advising on our efforts to reduce global hunger and food insecurity.

We are currently allocating significant resources to the fight against global hunger by supporting programmes or projects which are directly or indirectly related to hunger reduction. In addition, some reorientation of the aid programme is expected in the years ahead as we focus even more on hunger reduction across the programme and as we appraise new programmes through a "hunger lens". We will of course ensure that our hunger actions are well co-ordinated with other pressing matters such as HIV/AIDS, education and good governance.

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