Ministerial report from Joe Costello TD

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Minister Joe Costello TD Minister for Trade and Development

WORKING TOGETHER

NEW POLICY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ■ In May 2013, along with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore T.D., I launched One World, One Future: Ireland’s Policy for International Development ■ The policy sets out the vision, goals and priorities for the Government’s overseas aid programme over the coming five years.

This policy was informed by the Review of the White Paper last year, one of the commitments contained in the Programme for Government.

■ It presents a clear direction for Ireland’s development programme in the years ahead. In it, we set out our three new goals: reduced hunger and stronger resilience; sustainable development and inclusive economic growth; and better governance, human rights and accountability.

Minister Joe Costello at the Our World Irish Aid Awards 2013 launch

■ In striving to achieve these goals across Government, we will not only tackle the effects of poverty, hunger and insecurity, but work to address its root causes, so that people can lift themselves out of poverty. We will put the values of sustainability; effectiveness; equality – including gender equality; human rights; accountability; and partnership at the heart of our aid programme.

■ Under the new Development policy and the Africa Strategy, Ireland will focus more on supporting sustainable economic growth in our partner countries to assist them to exit from aid. We will use our strong partnerships to identify trade opportunities and to stimulate mutually beneficial relationships. This will be good for the emerging countries with whom we are working and it will be good for Ireland.

Minister Joe Costello on a trade mission to Mexico and El Salvador

PROVIDING EMERGENCY RESPONSE ■ Irish Aid works to strengthen the ability of vulnerable communities to cope with shocks such as natural disasters or illness. These programmes are working: in Ethiopia in 2012, almost 7 million people were protected from hunger because of programmes supported by Irish Aid. In the Ntcheu District in Malawi, the number of children under five dying from malaria has reduced by 95% since 2010.

■ Our support is making a practical difference in people’s lives, enabling them access basic services like healthcare and education, and provide food and clothing for their families.

■ As well as working to ensure long-term development, we must act swiftly and compassionately in response to emerging disasters. In the past year, I have ensured that Irish Aid has provided humanitarian assistance and responded promptly to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the ongoing civil war in Syria, the humanitarian crisis in Mali, the conflict in Sudan and South Sudan, and the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

■ In the most recent disaster—Typhon Haiyan in the Philippines—Ireland responded speedily and efficiently with 150 tonnes of essential supplies of humanitarian aid, funds for Irish and UN NGOs and the deployment of engineers on the ground. The Irish people once again were one of the world’s most generous donors

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DEVELOPING MARKETS ABROAD FOR IRISH GOODS AND SERVICES ■ As Minister for Trade and Development, part of my role is to develop markets abroad for Irish produced goods and services so that extra jobs are created at home.

■ Despite the significant international market challenges that we have faced in recent years, Ireland has achieved strong export growth, with total exports now at a historic high of €182 billion in 2012 – some 16 per cent higher than their pre-crisis levels in 2007. The Export Sector plays a key role in Ireland’s recovery, and more than 15,000 export related jobs have been created since 2011.

■ The number of Enterprise Ireland Ministerial-led trade missions has more than doubled annually since 2011, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy network. Continuing to deliver an intensive programme of these missions as part of a drive to increase international trade and exports is a key commitment in the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs 2013 and a central part of my portfolio.

■ I have led trade missions to Canada, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mozambique, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Turkey, Italy, and Belgium.

Likewise, I have accompanied the President on his official visits to Latin America and led trade missions to the countries visited—Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

■ The aim of these trade missions was to cement and build on links and open new doors for increased export business. Central to the Government’s plan for jobs and growth is creating a powerful engine of indigenous enterprise. Indigenous exporting companies, directly and indirectly, provide over 300,000 jobs in Ireland at present.

■ The intensive programme of trade and investment missions that I have led contributes strongly to the protection of existing jobs and the creation of more jobs at home in Ireland.

VOLUNTEERING INITIATIVE STREAMLINED ■ A key element of our new Development policy is a new Volunteering Initiative to harness the experience of Irish people and institutions. The Irish Aid Volunteering Initiative is designed to improve the quality of volunteering from Ireland.

■ This initiative is designed to streamline and focus our volunteering programmes and ensure that peoples’ skills are better matched to the needs of the countries and communities in which they will work.

Volunteering has sometimes been seen as the preserve of the young.

Minister Joe Costello visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan

■ However, the recent early retirement of large numbers of public servants opens up new opportunities for these skilled individuals to share their experience in areas as diverse as education, health, taxation and agriculture.

■ Ireland is renowned for its solidarity with those in the greatest need. I am confident that, through our new Volunteering Initiative, we will build on our reputation and maximise our contribution in the fight to end global poverty and hunger.

Minister Joe Costello signing a landmark education and research agreement with Brazil that will see 5,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students study in Minister Joe Costello speaking during a trade Ireland over the next four years. mission to Canada

Joe Costello TD Constituency Office: 328 North Circular Road, Phibsboro, Dublin 7 Dáil Éireann, Dublin 2

Phone: 01 618 3896 Email: joe.costello@oir.ie Web: labour.ie/joecostello

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