Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)

It is somewhat misleading to state that a cut of €255 million in the aid budget over a period of 12 months reflects the core values of this country. It does not in any way reflect our core values. We have a commitment under the millennium development goals, as the Minister is aware, of achieving a 0.7% of GDP target by 2012. Our GDP has fallen by 8% in the past year but our aid budget has been slashed by 20%. There is a disproportionate and swinging affect on our overseas development aid budget in terms of how it is being cut and targeted, and treated as a soft option.

My concern is that overseas development aid may be considered by some in Government as an optional luxury, which it most certainly is not - it is a fundamental core of this country's foreign policy. The Minister appears to be rolling back on this, from what I can understand. A 20% cut is totally disproportionate-----

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