2007 Press Releases

21 May 2007

Professor Denis Lucey to join Irish Aid Hunger Task Force


Conor Lenihan, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, today (21st May 2007) announced the appointment of a number of additional international experts to the Hunger Task Force:

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala - former Finance Minister of Nigeria
Dr Pamela K. Anderson, Director General of the International Potato Centre, Lima, Peru
Professor Lawrence Haddad of the UK Institute of Development Studies
Professor Denis Lucey UCC, Chairman of Gorta
Mr Kevin Farrell, Head of the World Food Programme in Zimbabwe.  

The Minister also announced that Bono has agreed to participate on the Task Force. The Task Force, launched in April, will draw on a range of Irish and international expertise in order to identify the particular contributions that Ireland can make to international efforts to reduce hunger.

Making the announcement, Minister Lenihan said:
"I am delighted that Bono has agreed to participate on the Irish Aid Hunger Task Force. Bono's commitment to the developing world is well known. I am confident that he will bring his trademark enthusiasm, experience and insights to the Task Force. His participation will give the issue of global hunger and malnutrition the level of attention that it deserves. Bono joins a Task Force of national and international experts who have a wealth of experience of development issues. The report of the Task Force will have a major influence on the future orientation of Ireland's rapidly expanding Aid Programme".

The Hunger Task Force, called for in last year's White Paper on Irish Aid, will be part of Ireland's efforts to the achieve the first Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015. Minister Lenihan announced the terms of reference of the Task Force and its chairman, former Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, on 10 April.

Other members of the Task Force are Prof Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University), Justin Kilcullen of Trocaire, Sheila Sisulu, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Nancy Aburi of the NGO Self-Help, Michael Gibney, Professor of Food and Health at UCD, Tom Arnold of Concern, Aidan O'Driscoll of Department of Agriculture and Food and Brendan McMahon, Head of the Emergency and Recovery Section of Irish Aid.  

455MMcS


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