John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I was interested to hear what the Minister of State said, following the conversation we had in the Chamber yesterday. I mentioned the Gates Foundation. He re-emphasised Ireland's commitment to overseas development. That is good news in a world where the cuts in US aid have been described by aid agencies as irreplaceable and having a significant impact. The security piece is important.

I want the European budget to adapt and develop in such a way that it is able to meet unforeseen circumstances. I understand 90% of the budget is fixed and 10% is discretionary or can be used to respond to particular situations. Was cohesion policy discussed? What were the budget Commissioner's views on that? To what extent does the Minister of State think that increased security expenditure might impact on this?

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