Sir - Without massive and immediate debt reduction Mozambique will have no real hope of recovering from the devastation wrought by the severe flooding.
Despite the fact that one in every five Mozambican children die before reaching the age of five, and that Mozambique is one of the most educationally deprived countries, the country's combined annual budget for primary health care and primary education is just $52 million. This allocation is put into perspective when one considers the fact that Mozambique continues to spend $68 million annually in foreign debt repayments with 1.3 million dollars leaving the country every week in debt repayment.
This money is vitally needed by the people of Mozambique who now find themselves homeless and helpless as a result of recent cyclones and requiring assistance from international Aid agencies.
In response to a recent Dail question, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Liz O'Donnell TD, stated: "I call for a cancellation of Mozambique's debt". This statement needs to be echoed and taken up at Government level by Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy TD, who represents Ireland at the IMF and World Bank.
It can be argued that it is relatively easy for Ireland to ask others to cancel debts when it is not a creditor. Hence it is vitally important that as well as pressing for debt cancellation, Ireland's moral voice is strengthened through ensuring that Ireland's Aid budget allocation for Mozambique is substantially increased. This would allow for urgently needed investment in the country's immediate and longer term rehabilitation needs - Yours, etc.,
Justin Kilcullen, Director, Trocaire, Booterstown Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.