Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I have prepared some figures, but since most of them have been read out already or are about to be, I will take the opportunity to place on record a letter that appears today in The Irish Times, which I am not sure the Minister of State will have seen:

Madam,

The present dispute about whether, because of the economic tsunami, Ireland is justified in cutting overseas aid evokes a historic parallel. This is the controversy in Britain, in early 1946, seven months after the end of the war, over whether food should be sent to aid the starving Germans. This was at a time when the average British consumption was about 2,800 calories a day, the equivalent of about 60 per cent of the present Irish figure.

At the time, George Orwell wrote: "If we raise our own rations, we should be doing so while famine descends on Europe. If we do decide to do this, at least let the issues be plainly discussed and let the photographs of starving children be well publicised in the press, so that the people of this country may realise what they are doing."

Happily, the British made the decision to give up some of their food to the Germans. The Irish should take the equivalent decision now.

Yours, etc.,

Professor David Gwynn Morgan,

Law Department,

University College Cork.

I thought when I read those words how succinct, competent and capable they were. It is a reminder to us, as a country, of what we can do. It is estimated that we out overseas aid will slip backwards from an estimated 0.58% to a projected 0.48% this year after the February and April cuts. The World Bank has warned that such recession induced donor fatigue worldwide could result in 90 million more people, mainly in Africa, being forced into poverty. Furthermore, the World Bank reckons that between 200,000 and 400,000 more children will die every year between now and 2015 than would have perished in the absence of a world economic crisis. The Economist summed up the situation when it said, "Progress towards a richer, more equitable world has been set back years."

I mention that because I am not talking about Ireland alone. While I cannot agree with everything Senator Norris has said, I know that the Minister of State's heart is in the right place. I know he wants to do well, as do the Irish people. I am aware of the straitened economic circumstances, but when we look at the figures and how well off we are compared with those who die, are starving and go to bed hungry every night, we realise that we can afford to do more than we are doing. Senator Norris is quite correct when he talks about the percentages. Of course, we do not feed people with percentages. However, when we have the opportunity to do something, as we do now, I urge the Minister of State to use his influence with the Cabinet to ensure that we set out to achieve what we determinedly wish to do. We were determined to do it in the past so let us ensure we do it in the future.