Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence
Irish Aid Programme Review: Discussion (Resumed)
9:00 am
Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Many members of the committee have raised the issue of 0.7% of GNI with the Minister and the Government. It is not just about reaching that target, but also about the quality of that assistance. Is Mr. Drummond concerned that we do not seem to have a structured plan to reach that target? Is that a weakness in Ireland's approach?
Mr. Drummond talked about the importance of the Irish voice and about Ireland as a mighty nation that speaks out with a strong moral voice on the global stage. Is he concerned that because of our engagement with the EU, we may be losing that voice to some extent?