Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Both the Tánaiste and I are anxious to see a roadmap put in place. There is no question about that. We have made several references to it in the past. Thankfully, when one speaks about this subject at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, there is absolute consensus among all members that this is the direction in which we need to go. Last year's increase to the ODA budget was the largest in a decade. This year's increase was somewhat less substantial in the context of competing domestic priorities, most prominently with regard to a possible no-deal Brexit. In the context of that very challenging financial environment, the allocation of €830 million to ODA remains a significant budgetary commitment by the Government to international development. We are well on our way there. We are anxious to reach that goal of 0.7%, which would push us towards €2.5 billion in spending per annum. The earlier public engagement process that led to the publication of our new international development policy in February, A Better World, included a number of significant meetings throughout the country. Thankfully, there is also consensus among the general public that this is the right thing to do. Nobody need have any fear. The Government and all of the political parties represented here are determined that we reach that 0.7% target.

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