David Norris (Independent)

It is absolutely outrageous. The whole thing is a spin. On "Prime Time" on 5 May, in response to a question from Mr. Justin Kilcullen, the Minister of State said we were protecting short-term emergency humanitarian aid because that was where our focus was. We want to save lives, but we are saving lives with our programme in any event. Yet when the researchers contacted the Minister of State's office they were told that the earmarked funding for rapid onset humanitarian emergency programmes, which is exactly what he was talking about, was reduced by 70% from €20 million to €6 million. The office, on being contacted again, responded that what the Minister of State had intended to say was that the reduced amount, in other words the 30% pittance left, would be delivered. That is sheer nonsense.

Now the Minister of State is saying, "although the motion is framed in positive terms". Of course it is as it says nothing, apart from how wonderful we are, but we are not. I do not believe it is right to take historical credit for a situation that has developed over some years, in the present circumstances when we are cutting deeply into this aid. Again, the Minister of State is taking credit for the generosity of the Irish people. The Government is not the Irish people.