Hunger Task Force Meets For First Time

The Irish Aid White Paper launched in September 2006 identified Hunger and Food Security as key elements of the global development challenge and made a commitment to establish a Hunger Task Force.

The Task Force draws together Irish and International expertise to examine the particular contribution Ireland can make to tackle the root causes of food insecurity, particularly in Africa.

The first meeting of the Task Force took place last week at Iveagh House, chaired by former Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh.

Welcoming members of the Task Force to Dublin, the Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Micheal Kitt T.D., said that this was an issue to which he attached particular priority: "This Task Force forms a significant part of our contribution towards meeting the Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger and global poverty by 2015.

"I am delighted we have been able to put together such a distinguished panel and I wish them well as they begin their important and challenging task."

The aim of the Task Force is to identify the additional, appropriate and effective contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce hunger and thus contribute to the achievement of the First U.N. Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015.

The Task Force will meet a number of times to carry out a thorough analysis of the current global challenge of hunger and food insecurity.

Against that background, it will review Ireland's aid programme to examine the extent to which Irish Aid is addressing food security and hunger through its partnerships with development agencies and organisations (the U.N., NGOs and others) and through its own bilateral programmes.