Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 61: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in the context of his stated commitment to the IATI standard for open data, if he intends to make Irish Aid data freely available before year end. [2349/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Ireland is working closely with other international donors to improve the quality of international development assistance. In a review undertaken by the OECD in 2011, Ireland's overseas aid programme ranked first among EU member states, in terms of its quality and our commitment to the delivery of effective aid.

Increasing the transparency of information related to development cooperation enables partner governments and civil society organisations to plan more effectively and to hold one another to account for the way aid is used. At the recent High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Korea, the importance of transparency and accountability of all development resources was strongly endorsed. In recent years, and consistent with a commitment to transparency, the Government has substantially increased the volume of information relating to the Irish Aid programme, which is publicly accessible. Comprehensive and detailed information relating to Irish Aid's country strategy papers and budgets, policy documents and annual reports are now available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website. We are updating this website to make it more relevant and accessible.

I am currently leading a review of the Government's White Paper on Irish Aid. As part of this process, we will consider how to ensure that information made available on the Irish Aid programme, and aid programmes implemented by our partner NGOs and other organisations, conform even more fully with internationally accepted standards, such as the OECD and other initiatives such as the International Aid Transparency Initiative.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 62: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his approach to the upcoming Rio+20 summit; his views on the implications of last December's Busan summit on aid effectiveness for the Irish Aid programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2350/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development will be held in Rio de Janeiro in June, marking the twentieth anniversary of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development and the tenth anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. The goal of the Summit will be to secure renewed international political commitment for sustainable development. It will focus on the promotion of a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and agreement on the global institutional arrangements to make this happen. The Minister for the Environment is taking the lead in coordinating Ireland's approach to the Summit, and Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been actively engaged in the national consultation process. In line with our priorities in international development, and Ireland's strong focus on the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, we are working to ensure that effective responses to hunger and poor nutrition in developing countries will be prioritised at the Rio meeting.

Last December, my predecessor as Minister of State for Trade and Development, Ms. Jan O'Sullivan, T.D., headed the Irish delegation to the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea. The Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Pat Breen, T.D., also participated in the delegation. This major international meeting brought together over 2,500 representatives from Governments, Parliaments, civil society and the private sector to review progress on implementing commitments on making development aid more effective and to agree a global framework to improve the impact of development assistance on the reduction of global poverty.

The meeting agreed an outcome document 'The Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation' which was endorsed by emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil, which had not previously engaged in international discussions on effective aid.

The Busan outcome document includes commitments to increase the focus on poverty reduction and on development results, particularly in fragile and conflict- affected states. It commits to ensuring women and girls are prioritised in development and to strengthening the transparency and accountability of development spending. The important oversight role of parliamentarians and the role of civil society as partners in poverty reduction were also clearly recognised.

In the coming months, officials from my Department will engage with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations to support the establishment of a new inclusive 'Global Partnership' which will work to ensure accountability for the implementation of commitments made in Busan. Over the coming months, I will be leading the review of the White Paper on Irish Aid. The commitments made in Busan will be reflected in this review to ensure that Ireland maintains its reputation as an international leader in making development aid more effective, with an overseas aid programme of the highest quality.