Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will explain Ireland's decision to abstain from the UN resolution making water a human right in particular given Ireland's previously stated commitment to millennium development goal seven which pledges to half the proportion of persons without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation [36103/10]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on foot of the UN Human Rights Council declaring the right to water and sanitation to be legally binding, to outline Ireland's position in this matter and the positive steps the Government will take to ensure universal vindication of this right [36090/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 107 and 110 together.

Ireland is committed to the full realisation of all human rights, and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including the seventh Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Through the Government's development programme Ireland is working with central and local Government in our Programme Countries, with civil society groups and with multilateral organisations to contribute to the achievement of this Goal.

Ireland recognises that sustained and equitable access to water is not only a life-saving intervention in humanitarian responses but is critical in addressing the complex and multi-dimensional nature of poverty, especially in relation to child mortality, food security and gender equality. Last year, through the aid programme, Ireland provided €12.6 million in direct support to water and sanitation activities through our Programme Countries and civil society organisations. In addition, significant funding was provided to multilateral organisations, including UNICEF, which have a strong focus on water and sanitation in their programmes.As I informed the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs last week, Ireland was pleased to co-sponsor a Resolution on 'Human rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation' at the 15th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva last month. That Resolution was adopted by consensus.

Two years ago, in 2008, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a Resolution which recognised the existence of human rights obligations relating to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Ireland supported and co-sponsored that Resolution. The Human Rights Council appointed for a period of three years an independent expert, Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, whose mandate includes the clarification of the content of human rights obligations, including non-discrimination, in relation to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, in cooperation with and reflecting the views of Governments and relevant United Nations bodies, and in further cooperation with the private sector, local authorities, national human rights institutions, civil society organisations and academic institutions. This process being conducted by Ms. de Albuquerque, which Ireland supports, has already produced some valuable insights into the issues involved. The process is based on inclusiveness and aims at allowing the emergence of a consensus within the international community.

On 28 July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution on the human right to water and sanitation. The Resolution was adopted following a recorded vote of 122 in favour to none against, with 41 abstentions. Ireland closely followed the negotiations on the draft Resolution sponsored by Bolivia and supported suggestions put forward by the EU that, in our view, would have resulted in a better and more balanced text and allowed the General Assembly to reach consensus on this very important issue. Unfortunately many of the EU suggestions were not taken into consideration. The final Bolivian text bypassed the Human Rights Council process and, arguably, prejudiced the outcome of that process, introducing division where consensus should have been sought.

Following careful consideration within my Department and with other Departments, we did not feel that we could support in its entirety the final Bolivian text presented to the General Assembly. Ireland, along with seventeen of our European Union partners, took the decision to abstain from voting on this issue.

Ireland remains convinced that the only way to achieve real progress on access to safe drinking water and sanitation is to maintain consensus within the international community and we are committed to continuing to work in that direction with EU partners and the wider international community.