Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Gormley on aid and debt relief. We need to be more involved and I hope that in the next few weeks we will be signalling our financial support for a UK-led initiative in that regard. Thus, indebted countries can be given greater financial assistance to lower their debts and allow them to make economic progress.

I agree totally with the request by the 35 NGOs for a multi-annual plan. I am working on this at present with the Taoiseach and Minister for Finance. I suppose I will ultimately have to put the matter to the Cabinet in terms of devising a realistic and achievable timeframe within which we can achieve the target of 0.7% of GNP. "Realistic and achievable" is the key phrase I have always used regarding this subject. Now that we have missed the 2007 deadline, and clearly admitted this, we should set a timeframe that is realistic and achievable. This will comprise our work over the coming months. I certainly hope we will complete this work before July, after which we can travel safely and securely to the UN event in New York, clear in our view that we will achieve the target within an established timeframe.

I do not wish to comment on Dóchas's view that we will not meet the target until 2028. It is clear that its dates and timeframes are at variance with mine. We have made an absolute commitment to achieving these goals by 2015 in line with Kofi Annan's demand——

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