Don Lydon (Fianna Fail)

I second the motion and I too look forward to the Minister's speech. A sum of €399 million has been allocated for international co-operation under our aid budget for 2004. This represents the highest allocation ever and an increase of €25 million over that for 2003. There have been increases every year since 1997, when the allocation was just €117 million, but they have been significantly more substantial in recent years. The allocation has more than doubled since 2000.

This year's increased allocation will enable the Government to maintain official development assistance at 0.4% of GNP. In percentage terms, Ireland is now the seventh largest donor in the world and its average is well above that of the EU, which is 0.33%. When contributions from other Departments are factored in, total official development assistance next year should amount to some €480 million, the equivalent of 0.41% of GNP. This is a very substantial increase at a time when there are constraints on spending in so many Departments and it shows our continuing commitment to meeting the needs of the poorest of the poor in the developing world. More importantly, the quality of the Irish programme has been lauded internationally. The findings of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee, published on 20 November last, constitute a strong endorsement of the Government's development co-operation programme and its underlying objectives by this internationally recognised arbiter of quality and standards in overseas development assistance. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said: "I warmly welcome the outcome of this major international review of our development co-operation programme. A very positive judgment has been passed by Ireland's peers on our activities in the field of development co-operation." He added: "This is a tribute to the vision and dedication of the Minister of State Tom Kitt, TD and the team he leads."