Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government contains a clear commitment to Ireland’s aid programme and to the UN target of providing 0.7% of gross national product for official development assistance, ODA. We have underscored this commitment in our budgetary allocations for ODA and we have emphasised that we are working to achieve the UN target when our economic circumstances allow it.

Last year, the Government provided €639 million for development assistance and an estimated €623 million has been allocated for 2013. After a period of budget reductions, we have essentially stabilised the aid budget, which is a very significant achievement in current economic circumstances. The aid programme is at the heart of our foreign policy and reflects the values of the Irish people. It remains focused on the fight against global poverty and hunger and on the poorest countries and communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2011, the European Union collectively provided over €53 billion in ODA, accounting for over 55% of global assistance to developing countries. The EU and its member states have called on all international donors, including new and emerging partners, to raise their level of ambition and to increase their ODA efforts to a level similar to the EU, thus contributing their fair share to the global development efforts.

EU member states are committed to making development aid more effective and to agreeing a global framework to improve the impact of development assistance on the reduction of global poverty. Ireland has been recognised internationally as a leader in making aid more effective. During our EU Presidency, we will continue to work with our EU partners to emphasise the transformative role of development co-operation and to ensure maximum impact in the delivery of assistance to developing countries. I believe we owe this to our own citizens and to those with whom we work in the developing world, especially at a time of economic challenge internationally.

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