Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It has. We have decided to fund our foreign aid through direct grant-in-aid, rather than via an aviation tax, because it is far more transparent. There is an issue with certain nations' dependence on aviation and the effect on our costs, which would be different from that of others. It has been decided that countries can deal with the issue on a voluntary, optional basis themselves. I respect those member states who see it as a feasible means of providing support for the Third World but we do so through direct grant-in-aid and the relevant subhead has received among the largest increases in recent years.

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