Condom clash over State Aids cash

Taxpayers' money should not be used to fund overseas HIV/Aids programmes which do not advocate the use of condoms, Senator David Norris has said.

Mr Norris was speaking at an Oireachtas Foreign Affairs committee yesterday which met delegates from the Catholic overseas mission body, the Irish Missionary Resource Service (IMRS). It was "wrong and immoral" he said for Irish taxpayer's money to be used in projects combating HIV/Aids that did not give people the "full facts" on the prevention of the disease, including the role of condoms.

It was "highly appropriate and very efficient" for the Government to direct overseas aid through religious missions because they provided a very good return for the money invested, Mr Norris said. However, he said it was essential that separation of State and Church beliefs was observed when public money was being used.

"Funding has to be specifically directed to education, health and rural development programmes. It cannot be seen to be promoting evangelism."

The IMRS is seeking an increase in Government funding for 85 overseas missionary organisations. The body is currently allocated €12 million of the Government's €545 million annual overseas aid budget and is seeking an increase to €20 million by 2008.

Committee members have also criticised a decision by RTÉ not to broadcast major sporting events overseas on radio. The station recently decided to stop broadcasting its weekend sports programmes on longwave and medium wave frequencies, which can be accessed by listeners in Britain.

The Federation of Irish Societies, which represents the Irish voluntary sector in the UK, told the committee it was extremely concerned by the decision because the service was used by immigrants to "keep in touch with home".

Labour Senator Brendan Ryan said every Irish person abroad listened to the programmes, particularly during the summer GAA season.

Meanwhile, the former secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Paul Murphy, has been appointed co-chair of the British-Irish Parliamentary Body with Fianna Fáil TD Pat Carey.