ElectricAid Round Table

The electricaid Round Table was the culmination of 'ElectricAid Days, 2007' a full week of awareness and membership events all over ESB. The Round Table Event was hosted by Aidan O'Regan, ESB Deputy Chief Executive, and was moderated by Kevin MacDermott of the ESB Press Office. It featured five speakers who came at Development Issues from five different perspectives.

Nessa NiChasaide, Debt & Development Coalition, discussed the issue of the unfair and unpayable debt burden on poor countries and introduced us to the concept of corrupt debt. Micheál Collins of TCD gave an economic perspective on development and indicated that countries like Uganda and parts of China were the 'best in class' in development success.

Tom Arnold of Concern indicated the depth and quality approach to development by his organisation, the largest NGO in Ireland and a highly significant and influential player across the world.

Adrian Fitzgerald of Irish Aid discussed Ireland's rapid increase in development aid and the new partnerships being forged with civil society in Developing countries. Nicola McGrath of Traidlinks discussed development from the point of view of the fostering of private enterprise and trade in Developing Countries.

There was a high quality discussion, with many significant contributions from the floor. There was a reassuring consensus that development works. In countries with reasonable governance and a working civil society, and where countries accept their own primary responsibility for their own development, real progress is being made, and our effort and money is not being wasted.

As Aidan O'Regan said in closing the event, "We were privileged to be there and we could have gone on for hours more."

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