29 Feb 2012, 18:01
Dóchas, the association of Irish Non-Governmental Development Organisations, will appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for the review of the White Paper on Irish Aid.
Committee Chairman, Pat Breen TD said: “A review of the White Paper on Irish Aid was announced in June 2011, following a commitment set down in the Programme for Government. The review is looking at the progress made by Irish Aid and the changing national and international context. It will help to shape policy direction for the coming years.
The Committee is delighted to have a role in carrying out this review. Tomorrow we will meet with Dóchas to discuss its submission to the review and consider the priorities identified by Dóchas members for strengthening Ireland’s role in international co-operation, including aid policy.”
This meeting will follow the address to the Committee by former Canadian Senator Douglas Roche on the issue of nuclear disarmament.
Deputy Breen said: “Senator Roche is Acting Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative, a group of eight international NGOs dedicated to the worldwide reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons, in a series of well-defined stages and accompanied by increasing verification and control.
Ireland has maintained a consistent position of nuclear weapons intolerance since the late 1950s. We have always been closely associated, in particular, with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the origins of which lie in a series of resolutions tabled by Ireland at the UN General Assembly from 1958 to 1961.
Our meeting with Senator Roche, who has a distinguished record on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues, presents a useful opportunity for the Committee to hear his views in advance of the first Preparatory Committee meeting of the 2015 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty review cycle, which will take place in Vienna from 31 April to 11 May.”
The meetings will start in Committee Room 1 at 2.45pm on Thursday 1st March.
Committee proceedings can be followed live at:
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Pat Breen, TD (Chairman)
Eric Byrne, TD
Bernard J Durkan, TD
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, TD
Dara Murphy, TD
Gerald Nash, TD
Dan Neville, TD
Seán Ó Fearghaíl, TD
Maureen O’Sullivan, TD
Senators
Deirdre Clune,
Mark Daly,
Lorraine Higgins,
Michael Mullins,
David Norris,
Jim Walsh.