Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 223: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action he is taking to ensure that Ireland meets the internationally agreed development goals, including the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals specifically in relation to family planning, reproductive health and in meeting the needs of young people; if he will commit to funding adequately the relevant budget lines to meet these goals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14653/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Universal access to reproductive health is one of the goals of the Programme of Action agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994. The fifth of the Millennium Development Goals, adopted internationally in 2000, aims to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quarters, and to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015. The Government is fully committed to action in support of these goals, which will also make a vital contribution in addressing the global HIV and AIDS pandemic.

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

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 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 services, including family planning.

The Government's aid programme adopts a comprehensive approach in addressing the reproductive health needs of women and young people, through involvement in global policy development, funding and research. Ireland's assistance is directed at programmes at both global and country levels.

The Government 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 engaged with and contributed substantially to UNFPA. We provided funding of €20.5 million over the three years 2005-2008, covering a range of programmes, including Trust Funds for Global Reproductive Health Commodities Security, Maternal Health, and Obstetric Fistula. Ireland has also funded a joint programme between the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UNFPA to ensure that the implications of the practice of female genital mutilation are integrated into reproductive health strategies.

Ireland is also working closely with a number of partner countries on these important issues. For instance, in Tanzania , we are working on increasing access to maternal health care; in Ethiopia, we are addressing adolescent reproductive health needs; in South Africa, we are focusing on the prevention of gender based violence; and Irish Aid has been central to the development of maternal health services in Northern Province in Zambia.