Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 378: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of funds allocated through Irish Aid for the provision of family planning, reproductive health services and commodities in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4697/09]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 379: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he has taken to achieve the new 2005 Millennium Development Goal target 5b of universal access to reproductive health care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4698/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 378 and 379 together.

Universal access to reproductive health is one of the goals of the Programme of Action agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994. In addition, the fifth Millennium Development Goal is to (a) reduce by three-quarters the maternal mortality ratio and (b) achieve universal access to reproductive health, by 2015. The Government is committed to action in support of this goal, which is also important in tackling HIV and AIDS.

The Government's 2006 White Paper on Irish Aid outlines our commitment to supporting the specific health needs of women within our overall approach to health in developing countries. It makes clear that addressing women's health needs, particularly in the areas of basic healthcare and maternal and reproductive health, must lie at the heart of an effective overall response to improving health in developing countries.

Unfortunately, only limited progress has been made on this issue since the Cairo Conference in 1994. Every year, some 500,000 women die and a further 10 million suffer from severe illnesses or disabilities as a result of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Underlying this tragedy is the lack of access by women in developing countries to good quality maternal and reproductive health, including family planning.

The Government, through Irish Aid, works with several partner agencies in the UN system to address maternal health issues. One of the main obstacles to the achievement of universal access to reproductive health is the lack of empowerment of women in developing countries. The issues involved form the core mandate of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with which Irish Aid has a close relationship.

In recognition of its important mandate, the Government has contributed substantially to the core funding of UNFPA in recent years — €2.9 million in 2005, €3.1 million in 2006, €4.5 million in 2007 and €4.5 million in 2008. In 2006 the Government also contributed €0.5 million to the UNFPA Trust Fund for Global Reproductive Health Commodities Security, with further contributions of €1 million in 2007 and €1 million in 2008. In 2007, we also contributed €2 million to the UNFPA Trust Fund on Maternal Health, €0.5 million to the Fistula Thematic Trust Fund and €0.5 million to a joint UNFPA and UNICEF project on Female Genital Mutilation. In total, over the three years 2005-2008, Ireland has contributed €20.5 million to UNFPA.

In recognition of the importance of its work on gender, reproductive health, maternal mortality and HIV and AIDS, Ireland is one of five international donors to have signed a multi-annual framework agreement with UNFPA to recognise shared objectives and ensure predictable funding for the years 2008-2011.