Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

Is dócha go bhfuil sé ceart ag an bpointe seo comhghairdeas a ghabháil leis an Tánaiste as a bheith ceaptha mar chathaoirleach ar an OSCE, rud a tharla ón uair dheireanach a bhí seans againn na cúrsaí seo a phlé anseo. Ba mhaith liom freisin fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit nua, an Teachta Costello. Bhí ard-mhuinín againn san Aire Stáit a bhí ann roimhe. Rinne sí sár-jab. Táimid dóchasach go mbeidh an Aire Stáit nua chomh tugtha agus chomh gafa leis an ról seo is a bhí an Aire Stáit eile. Tá súil agam go n-éireoidh go geal leis an iarracht atá idir lámha aige.

One must acknowledge we are in the most dire economic circumstances. However, the Labour Party manifesto - in which Members on this side of the House took great interest - committed no further reduction in overseas development aid if it were elected to government. A further €53 million will now be reduced from the overseas development aid budget on top of the €212 million reduction since the all-time record investment of €920 million in 2008. Will the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade agree he has failed in the objective set in his manifesto? How will this reduction in expenditure, regrettable as it is, impact on the nine programme countries? Will he give us an assurance that the disaster unfolding in the Horn of Africa will not be adversely affected by this reduction in overall expenditure?

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