Irish debt relief campaigners have called on the G8 group of wealthy countries meeting in Canada later this week to "break the stranglehold" of debt afflicting poorer countries.
Members of the Debt and Development Coalition yesterday handed in a letter of protest about the debt crisis to the Canadian Embassy in Dublin.
They asked the Canadian chargé d'affaires, Mr William Gusen, to transmit their message to the G8 leaders meeting in the Rocky Mountains on Wednesday and Thursday.
Speaking at a protest outside the embassy, Ms Angela Temple of the Debt and Development Coalition called on the G8 leaders to make a "real and lasting commitment" to debt relief.
"Despite their many promises, the G8 have failed to tackle the debt crisis for most of the poorer countries.
"They now admit that the main debt initiative, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative is failing to deliver even the inadequate amount of debt reduction promised," she said.