Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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889. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Ireland's participation in international negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21390/15]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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2015 is a crucial year for international development. We are preparing for three interlinked international conferences: in Addis Ababa in July on financing for development, in New York in September on a new set of Sustainable Development Goals, and in Paris in December on a new climate treaty.

I will lead the Irish delegation to the conference in Addis Ababa, the outcome of which will be essential for success in the subsequent conferences.Ireland is playing a strong international role in the overall process to agree a new framework for global development to follow on from the Millennium Development Goals, post-2015. The contours of agreement at Addis Ababa will need to be broad if they are to support the new set of Sustainable Development Goals to be adopted at the major Summit at the UN in New York. Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be a vitally important element of the package, but agreement will also be needed on a much wider range of resources for development. It will be important, then, that allparties contribute on an equitable basis and that we also look at measures to unlock all available sources of financing. These measures must include domestic resource mobilisation, the most rapidly growing component of development finance over the last decade, as well as exploring ways of involving the private sector as inclusive partners in development and recognising the importance of science and technology.

While ODA will not be sole focus of negotiations at Addis Ababa, it remains particularly important for the fight to end poverty in the Least Developed Countries, including many African countries and fragile states, countries which are the focus of Ireland’s aid programme. The Government remains firmly committed to reaching the 0.7% target and to making further progress towards it as our economic recovery consolidates. Ireland therefore welcomed the reconfirmation of the EU’s collective commitment to reaching the 0.7% target within the timeframe of the post-2015 agenda when Development Ministers met at the Council meeting which I attended in Brussels on 26 May. We also agreed on the need to direct more aid to the Least Developed Countries, and especially to the poorest African countries. Ireland is a world leader in the proportion of our aid which we provide to the poorest countries. Ireland is committed to working with our EU and UN partners to secure an inclusive agreement at Addis Ababa that will support the new, transformative Sustainable Development Goals.