Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

We are in election mode, and will be for the next 12 months as far as I can see. Regarding overseas development aid, Ireland must be the most generous country in the world or home to the greatest shower of idiots who ever walked the earth. Let me talk about Ethiopia receiving €552 million from this State in overseas development aid. Its military budget is $1.58 billion. It has a defence force complement of 503,000 and 220 battle tanks, 345 personnel carriers and 97 military aircraft. It has no naval ships. Mozambique gets €299.641 million. Its defence budget is $280 million. It has a defence force complement of 11,200 and 60 tanks, 417 personnel carriers, 24 military aircraft and 30 naval ships. Tanzania gets €252.21 million towards its $943 million defence budget. It has a defence force complement of 104,000 and 46 battle tanks, 81 personnel carriers, 41 military aircraft and 17 ships.

Ireland's Defence Forces have fallen apart. We do not have military aircraft capable of defending the State. We have one ship defending our Atlantic and Irish Sea coasts. Our military force is depreciating at a rate of 50 people net per month. Are we the greatest idiots who ever walked? Now that we are in election mode, I am asking the citizens of this country to demand that we undertake a review of overseas development aid and a review of NGO funding for this entire State. Annually, €2.137 billion is being given to countries that have far more than we have. It must stop. The citizens must stop this because the political parties will not bring such a review forward. It simply must happen.