Derek McDowell (Labour)

We expected and hoped in 2000 that we would have year on year growth of about 5%, and we did. We are where we expected and hoped to be economically. We always knew the figures and the volume. We knew we would be talking about a doubling of aid. It could not have come as a surprise to anybody. It certainly did not come as a surprise to the Minister's colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs. We knew the commitment we were making. It is now what it was then, and we knew then what we know now. That excuse does not explain the failure of the Government and the deception it has engaged in over that time.

Senator Mooney said in his thoughtful contribution that he hoped that by the end of this Government we would be within shouting distance — I think that was the phrase he used — of the 0.7% target. The sad fact is that we will not. GNP figures are consumer price index related and therefore to stay where we are, with 5% growth, we must increase it by approximately 8% or 9% per year. We are talking about an increase of 10% over the next two or three years. If we make just the minimum commitment we are talking about, the €60 million or €65 million over the next few years, we will be at 0.43% in 2007. If we continue at that rate, not only will we be gone from politics, most of us will be gone from this earth by the time we meet the commitment. It requires a serious ratcheting up of money if we are to have any hope of meeting this commitment not in 2007, but in 2009 or 2010.

I am disappointed the Minister of State repeated his target of 2012 or 2013. That is far too long away. Most Members of this House and elsewhere could live with the target being missed by one, two or three years but to postpone it by up to eight years beyond the original target is not acceptable.

I thank those who contributed to the debate. Looking at it positively, it is one more stage in trying to build the political consensus and will, which is the fundamental sine quo non of meeting our commitments. Without a commitment on a cross-party basis, we will never meet the target. Perhaps this debate will serve as one extra rung on the ladder in terms of getting us there.