Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

It is not agreed. I welcome the decision to give €59 million towards the cost of debt cancellation. However, the requirement to debate it in the House is based on the fact that this sum is to be lumped with the overall figure for overseas development aid, which it clearly is not. It gives a false picture with regard to the Government living up to its commitment to reach the figure of 0.7% of GNP by 2007, which has now been put back to 2010. This is a serious matter because it falsifies the figures.

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