The White Paper on Irish aid suggests supporting the many goals that the UN has targeted
16 October 2006
Irish People are very generous in donating to developing countries in a personal capacity. The Irish Government for over a decade has increased our donations on a bilateral basis with certain countries, particularly in Africa, through contributions to EU funds and multilateral organizations. All political parties and independent deputies and senators have supported this action and Irish taxpayers can be sure these contributions are saving lives.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, of which Irish Aid is a section, has recently published a White Paper on Irish Aid for the next five, years putting particular emphasis on supporting the United Nations Millennium Goals. I was glad to see the White Paper was written by members of the Department of Foreign Affairs with experience of working in developing countries rather than farming the work out to "consultants". Too often expertise in departments seems to be ignored and consultants employed at considerable cost to all of us.
The involvement of Irish missionaries in health and education in parts of Africa has been important in the focus of our attention on Africa, sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Ethiopia, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Uganda and Tanzania are our priority countries. Malawi was added to the list by Minister for State Conor Lenehan who has responsibility for the Irish Aid in Foreign affairs when he spoke during a debate on the White Paper in the Seanad recently. The aid given by Ireland is untied, as well, which gives more freedom to those who are administering it and spending it than aid from some other countries. About a year ago I spoke at a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington DC and amongst my audience were members of Congress and a Senator. Some of them were very surprised when I mentioned how tied American aid is. They were also surprised the donations by EU citizens per capita are much higher than those of Japan and the United States of America. Between the money spent by the EU centrally and the constituent countries themselves we give $90 per citizen and Japan and the US give $50 and $55 respectively. Now, I know that the colonial past of some European nations may spur them on but the difference is considerable. It's a good job Americans like Bill and Melinda Gates, Warren Buffet and others came on the global scene in such a generous manner. Their money is much needed.
The first Millennium Goal addresses the issue of eliminating poverty and hunger. Because our aid is untied Irish Aid frequently buys produce locally - famine conditions are often localized - rather than sending in produce from the donor country which is really a support for their own farmers. Malnutrition is the greatest killer of small children in developing countries. Encouraging local agriculture, helping set up irrigation schemes and so on, so that as much as possible is done to make communities self-sufficient.
The third Millennium Goal is to reduce the mortality rate of children under five by two-thirds. Relieving malnutrition, encouraging immunization and helping to set up health programmes will all be useful but if the World Health Organisation's aim to have all infants breast fed until they are two years of age, family planning methods will have to be made available to those who want them. Breast feeding reduces fertility and some couples will abstain from sex to avoid another pregnancy but many women seek modern methods of contraception.
This is important also with the fifth Millennium Goal, reducing by three-quarters the number of women dying during pregnancy or in childbirth. Half a million women die each year in association with pregnancy and childbirth. That is approximately one woman every minute. Teenagers are twice as likely to die as adult women. A woman in Sub-Saharan Africa has a 1 in 16 chance of dying in childbirth. A woman in the developed world a 1 in 4,000 chance. Availability of family planning, education and consumables for those who want them should be promoted. This I did not see in the White Paper despite the fact that Irish Aid runs excellent maternal health centres all over the developing world.
The sexual rights of teenagers, especially girls, and even children also must be addressed if the Second Goal of universal primary education is to be achieved. Girls, frequently before they reach their teens are married off, to older men sometimes as a second or third wife, despite the legal age of marriage being sixteen in most countries. Poor rural families are often glad to have one less mouth to feed but for a girl this is the end of any hope of education particularly if she becomes pregnant.
Gender issues are addressed but not as explicitly as I would have liked. We could encourage governments to make more of an effort to enforce the legal age of marriage. Behavioural change is very difficult and we cannot enforce our policies but we could mention our concerns. In both Zambia and Uganda the issue of "Sugar Daddies" - men who pay for the uniforms and school fees of girls in return for sex - has been described to me by local women as a dreadful problem.
Sex between older men and young, often very young women is the most common way HIV is transmitted nowadays. Goal six is to reduce the incidence of HIV and AIDS, malaria and other communicable diseases. The White Paper is very good on treatment, counselling and testing, prevention of transmission of the virus from mother to child and so on but nothing on prevention of the spread by sexual intercourse. Now if people here are told how the virus is spread why not there? Also, those who do not wish to abstain from sex must be told that use of condoms is the best method of preventing the spread. And these need to be far more available in the developing world. Again, many women have little choice as to whether they will have sex or not - should female condoms not be included in commodities which are useful?
Better coordination between the centre EU fund and the donor EU countries is promoted as is Budget Support in recipient countries. Accountability is essential but governments have to be encouraged to run their own affairs. We can't be "Nanny" for ever.
Many Irish parliamentarians and persons involved in NGOs frequently visit recipient countries and none of us came down in the last shower of rain. We can be justly proud of our Defence Forces serving overseas, our Irish Aid and NGO workers. This White Paper, if the recommendations are followed, will allow us plan our support in the best possible way in the future. Congratulations to all involved.
Senator Mary Henry, MD
