Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 48 and 49 together.

As Minister of State with responsibility for Ireland's Official Development Assistance, I am acutely aware of the need to ensure that our development assistance reaches its intended beneficiaries and makes a real difference in the lives of the world's poorest people. Ireland's aid programme has always had a strong poverty focus and the new development policy "One World One Future" will strengthen that focus and adjust it to the changing context in developing countries. Our aid programme is recognised internationally as one of the most effective in reaching the poorest.

Ireland directs the greater part of its assistance to some of the neediest countries in the world. Approximately 80% of our bilateral assistance goes to Least Developed and Low Income countries and to Africa. Programmes funded with this aid are designed and monitored to ensure that our support reaches the intended beneficiaries. They are appraised by Irish Aid staff using clear criteria, including quality of intended impact, sustainability and cost effectiveness. The programmes are subject to regular internal and external monitoring and are evaluated and audited by independent experts, as well as by my Department's Evaluation and Audit Unit.

Robust accountability systems in Partner Countries are essential to ensuring that development assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries. Ireland strongly supports the strengthening of these systems. We provide assistance to national Government oversight institutions, such as the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committees of national Parliaments, to ensure Governments are held to account for the effective expenditure of public funds, including overseas development assistance. Our own management and oversight systems are continually under review to ensure that Irish development funding goes to those most in need, and that we meet the highest standards of accountability.

Multilateral organisations play a vital role in building international agreement on key development challenges, and work in areas where needs are the greatest. These include regions and countries experiencing greater degrees of hunger, fragility and instability, because of conflict, disaster or the harmful effects of climate change. "One World One Future" reaffirms Ireland's strong support for multilateral efforts in the fight against global poverty and hunger.

We ensure that our assistance through multilateral agencies has a strong poverty focus by directing our support through organizations and agencies such as the World Food Programme, UNICEF, UNHCR, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme, that have a particular focus on the poorest countries or situations of greatest need. Ireland's development policy also recognises that meeting the greatest needs calls for protecting and fulfilling the rights of people, particularly the most marginalised, and calls for the promotion of human rights in our development efforts. Irish Aid uses its multilateral programme to further these issues. For example UNICEF, for example, has mainstreamed equity across its work, to ensure that all children, particularly the most marginalised, have access to education, health care, sanitation, clean water, protection and other services necessary for their survival, growth and development.

To ensure that our assistance is targeted at those most in need and delivered in the most effective manner we work through a variety of bilateral and other aid delivery channels in partnership with national authorities, local communities, NGOs, and key multilateral partners such as the United Nations. This mix of aid modalities and delivery channels that we use globally and in our Partner Countries means that, despite the changing and sometimes challenging contexts where we have to work, we do have the partnerships and channels to ensure that our aid reaches the very poorest.