Dáil debates

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

3:00 pm

Photo of Peter PowerPeter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

In the budget for 2010, the Government has provided a total allocation for official development assistance of €671 million. Of this total, some €536 million will be administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and a further estimated €135 million will come from other Departments and Ireland's share of the EU development co-operation budget. This represents a relatively small reduction of €25 million in overall ODA.

Based on current projections, this level of aid expenditure will represent 0.52% of gross national product and means that Ireland will maintain its expected 2009 percentage spend on ODA into 2010. I am confident that this level of allocation will ensure Ireland remains one of the more generous aid donors internationally in per capita terms.

The ODA budget for 2010 is a significant achievement. Against the background of very difficult economic circumstances and enormous budgetary pressures, the Government has succeeded in stabilising allocations to the aid programme. In preparing the budget we were determined to protect to the greatest extent possible our support to the developing world. I believe we have achieved this objective.

Ireland's aid programme is internationally recognised for its leadership role in making aid more effective and has been described as "cutting edge" by the OECD. It is also rightly praised by our peers for its sharp focus on poverty reduction and hunger alleviation, and concentrating on a small number of least-developed countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The 2010 budget allocation now needs to be effectively delivered with and through our partners to ensure Ireland's contribution to development co-operation has maximum impact. Detailed allocations across the programme have yet to be fully finalised, but will reflect our core objectives of poverty reduction and a focus on results. I expect that we will be providing in excess of €100 million to NGOs and missionaries, over €100 million to fight HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases, and over €50 million for emergencies and assistance to fragile states, quite apart from our bilateral programmes. We will also ensure that our commitments to our nine programme countries, seven in Africa and two in Asia, are met to the greatest possible extent.

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