and The United Nations agreement to ratify new sustainable development goals will lead to "galvanising action" to tackle issues such as poverty and hunger, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

Mr Kenny made the remarks in his address to the UN general assembly in New York yesterday. The general assembly sees 193 world leaders commit to 17 sustainable development goals designed to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and combat climate change by 2030.

In his address, Mr Kenny said the deal must lead to “action to end extreme poverty, hunger and under-nutrition and make better, faster progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Action to promote the critical role of good governance and the rule-of-law.”

Work would continue to achieve the UN target of allocating 0.7 per cent of GDP to international aid, he said.

Key role

Ireland

played a key role in the difficult task of negotiating the goals, the successor to the last programme, known as the millennium development goals.

Oxfam Ireland called on the Government to follow up on the leadership Ireland played in negotiating the goals by showing “the courage to deliver on them to eradicate poverty and inequality” in Ireland and overseas.

“The Taoiseach has pledged the Government’s commitment at the UN. Making that commitment will require Ireland to do things very differently – ‘business as usual’ won’t cut it,” said chief executive Jim Clarken.

“Next month’s budget offers a key moment for the Government to make a statement of intent, in both foreign and domestic policies.”