Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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11. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in view of the conclusions in the 2014 annual report to the European Council on EU development aid targets at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 19 May 2014, his views on another significant shortfall in the EU's collective overseas development aid, ODA, which, despite an increase from €55.3 billion in 2012 to €56.5 billion in 2013, remains at 0.43% of EU GNI; his views on the way Ireland will contribute to the EU's goal of 0.7% of GNI by 2015; the preparation the Government is making in advance of a possible failure to meet the 2015 goals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23178/14]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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My question relates to the shortfall in the EU's overseas development aid budget and what can be done about it.

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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I attended the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of development Ministers in Brussels on 19 May. The Council adopted conclusions on the 2014 annual report to the European Council on the EU’s development aid targets. The Council conclusions note that, despite continuing serious budgetary pressures, the EU’s collective official development assistance - from member states and the EU institutions combined - increased from €55.3 billion in 2012 to €56.5 billion in 2013. This amounted to 0.43% of EU GNI. It must be recalled that this has been done against a difficult economic background in member states but, nevertheless, the EU remains by far the largest donor of development assistance in the world. It accounts for more than half of global ODA to developing countries.

Since coming into office, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to Ireland’s aid programme and to stabilising the ODA budget to the maximum extent. In the three years 2011, 2012 and 2013, more than €1.9 billion has been provided for ODA. This is an enormous achievement in the circumstances. The Government has again managed to allocate almost €600 million to ODA in 2014. Our new policy for international development, One World One Future, makes it clear that the Government remains committed to the UN target of providing 0.7% of GNI in ODA. Having broadly stabilised the budget in recent years, we are committed to making further progress towards achieving the target as soon as economic circumstances permit.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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I refer to the Council's conclusions and annual report while acknowledging the Minister of State's comment that, despite the continuing budgetary constraints, the EU's collective ODA provision increased to €56.5 billion. However, it remained at 0.43% of EU GNI. There was a slight increase in total ODA provided by individual member states but, in percentage terms, it equated to 0.41% of GNI. The annual report states:

Development co-operation remains a key priority for the EU, which has formally undertaken to collectively commit 0.7% of GNI to official development assistance by 2015, thus making a decisive step towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The EU and its Member States reaffirm all their individual and collective ODA commitments taking into account the exceptional budgetary circumstances.

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The latest figures show that four countries - Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark and the UK - have met the 0.7% GNI target. The UK did so just this year. Ireland's ODA level stood at 0.45% of GNI in 2013, which placed us joint seventh in the EU table. This is against a background of being in the troika programme and in an economic crisis over the past five or six years. Overall, the EU maintained progress in delivering on its pledges, although the position varies greatly from member state to member state. For example, 16 member states increased their aid by a total of €4.1 billion while 12 decreased their aid by a total of €1.2 billion. Ireland was the only programme country that increased its aid, despite the difficult circumstances we are in. We must view the figures against that backdrop. We have made a commitment to reach the 0.7% GNI target as economic circumstances allow us to do. That remains our commitment and we will deliver on that.