Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of his discussions with the Director of UNICEF in New York, regarding Ireland's commitment to tackle maternal and child hunger, and HIV/AIDS. [44816/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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During his visit to New York last month, my colleague, the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Mr. Joe Costello T.D, held discussions with the Executive Director of UNICEF, Mr Tony Lake. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, is an important partner for Ireland both in development work and in responding to humanitarian crises. Minister Costello reiterated Ireland's continuing support for UNICEF, through Irish Aid, the Government's aid programme. The meeting focused in particular on the shared concern of the Government and of UNICEF with the continuing global hunger crisis, which is the central priority of our aid programme. Ireland and UNICEF are cooperating closely in addressing under-nutrition and have jointly promoted the international Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement. This is a global initiative which brings together different Governments and development agencies to tackle hunger and under-nutrition with a particular focus on maternal, infant and child under-nutrition. The UN Secretary General recently appointed Mr Lake as Chair of a SUN Lead Group which will provide strategic direction for the movement over the next three years.

Minister Costello discussed with the Executive Director our plans to highlight hunger and under-nutrition as development priorities for Ireland's EU Presidency in 2013. We look forward to working in cooperation with UNICEF on these priorities. He also underlined Ireland's support for the UN's efforts to reform the humanitarian system. This UN 'Transformative Agenda' aims to improve decision making, leadership and chains of command during emergencies and also enhance coordination between the UN agencies and NGOs.

I can assure the Deputy that the Government will continue to support and work closely with UNICEF to improve the health and the welfare of children, especially in the poorest countries in the world.