John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

Yes. We hope this reduction can be made up from administrative savings and other cost saving measures. Even this afternoon I will introduce a Supplementary Estimate for fast-track financing for climate change adaption, something to which we gave a commitment just over a year ago. That will be an extra €30 million in total and that is not included in this figure.

Even in these current difficulties our overseas development aid spending in 2011 will stay on target at 0.52% of GNP, ahead of the EU stepped target of 0.51% for 2011. For the coming year Irish aid is in line with our longer-term EU and international target of 0.7% GNP in aid by 2015. This is still well ahead of most OECD countries. We have exceeded the EU target of 0.51% in 2011. It will be up to the next Government to ensure that we hit the target of 0.7% in 2015.

Since entering government in June 2007 the Green Party has fought hard to defend overseas aid spending. Despite mounting domestic financial problems, we have ensured that proportionately we stayed broadly the same. It means Ireland is still on line to meet it overall targets. In reality, we are slower than had been hoped in meeting our ambitious targets, but it is a good record of defending the world's poorest people. This must continue. It will be interesting to see if this item of spending is defended in the same way in future Governments because, as we know-----

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