Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

On the first two questions, I reiterate our commitment to increase expenditure on HIV and other poverty related diseases to €100 million per year. This is a target we can achieve. It is a considerable support from this country to the HIV campaign. We are to the forefront of the campaign and recognised as such for the efforts that we, as a small country, have put in. Through our missionaries working in Africa, through our non-governmental organisations working in so many countries, through Irish Aid officials and through the taxpayers' contribution which broadly has support, we are seen as being a leader in this regard. Our making such a contribution over the past five years has given us a strong leadership role in Europe and it has been recognised throughout the UN organisations and in the European Union that we hold that position. It is a role of which we all should be proud and which we should seek to maintain.

I reiterate the commitment that we will reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP on official development assistance by 2012. We can do that. We could not reach the earlier date but we have still done better than practically any country, perhaps with the exception of Norway which has sufficient oil reserves to allow it to do it but to which I give credit for what it has done.

Our rate of increase — this year we are contributing 0.5% — is an enormous contribution by the public to overseas development aid, and is recognised as such. Ireland is held in high regard in the UN and in the countries in need of this aid. In that, along with the Clinton effort in Mozambique and other countries where Ireland has a strong leadership role, we play a significant part.

I have been dealing with the ODA issue for many years and, unlike most countries, Ireland is extremely fair in calculating such aid. We only provide untied aid or direct funding for relief. Many countries use a broad definition regarding what can go into ODA and they tie aid to business contracts and so on. Ireland does not do that. Nobody can criticise what Ireland includes in these figures. I have criticised the way other countries give relief and tie it to business arrangements and contracts. This country does not engage in such practices and we should never be apologetic about how we calculate ODA.

With regard to debt relief, if a country is saddled with a debt and the debt is removed, that helps the country because it does not have to put its limited income towards repaying the debt. That is clearly classified as aid and that cannot be taken out of the figures.

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