Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

As I have said in response to previous questions asked about the commitment to an ODA budget of 0.7% of GDP in the Houses of the Oireachtas, we have not retreated from it but rather we hope to achieve it. Moreover, we hope that before the White Paper process — which will be announced shortly in newspaper advertisements — is exhausted and we travel to New York in September for the high level event with my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and the Taoiseach, we will put in place a new timeframe for the achievement of the target of 0.7%. However, I emphasise that the percentage target as a figure stands and the issue is now how we can realistically reach it in steps and set out the indicative figures, percentages and amounts of money which will be required in order to reach the target figure.

I reassure the Deputy that there is no question of Ireland following the practice in other countries in previous crises such as the Iranian difficulties in Bam and the floods in Mozambique, whereby pledges made were not followed up in terms of an actual contribution. This has never been the case with Irish emergency humanitarian assistance. We have always honoured our pledges by disbursing the amount pledged. There has been a practice internationally of the authorities over-pledging and not delivering.

However, we have put in place specific procedures. We are appointing our own envoy to scrutinise and oversee the spending of the money. At OECD level, I have asked Mr. Richard Manning, the chairman of the development assistance committee, whom I met in Paris prior travelling to the Indian Ocean region, to put in place a system to track the donations. He will correspond and deal with Jan Egeland of the UN so that we can track the money properly.

In regard to Somalia and Burma, I must emphasise that the recommendation from the task force of officials from my section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, namely, Development Co-operation Ireland, which travelled to the region, is that we concentrate in two countries, namely, Indonesia and Sri Lanka because they are in most need. I emphasise that the €9.6 million which we have already disbursed reflects the emergency needs of this crisis. The next €10 million will be focused on the reconstruction and recovery cost and it will be a slower spend than the early disbursements which, by their nature, were emergency funds. The follow-on figure of €10 million will be spent in a far more careful and cautious fashion, concentrating on the two countries in greatest need. Critically, however, we will also be making funding available for smaller lesser-known areas in which devastation has taken place. The Maldives have been mentioned, to which issue I intend to respond.

See this speech in context