Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 355: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the new target date by which Ireland will reach 0.7% of GDP in respect of overseas development aid; if he will set out a multi-annual plan to reach this target and enshrine Ireland's commitment to the 0.7% target in legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22028/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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The allocation to Vote 29 — vote for international co-operation — for 2005 is €470.8 million, an increase of €70 million on the 2004 figure. As a result, total official development assistance, ODA, for 2005 is expected to amount to approximately €545 million, when contributions from other Departments have been taken into account. This represents the highest allocation in the 30-year history of the Irish aid programme. In addition, the Government has agreed to provide further increases of €65 million in 2006 and 2007. These very substantial increases mean that over the three years from 2005 to 2007, €1.8 billion will be spent by Ireland on development assistance. This three-year multi-annual commitment, incorporating very substantial annual increases, gives my Department a sound basis to carry forward the long term planning which is so important for development work.

The EU has recently agreed new targets for ODA. These provide that the EU 15 will reach a new collective target of 0.56% by 2010, while member states, which have not yet reached a level of 0.51%, undertake to individually reach that by 2010. Member states also undertake to achieve the UN target of 0.7% by 2015. The newer member states, which joined after 2002, have lower targets. This decision will bring an estimated €20 billion extra funding by 2010 into play for developing countries and represents a strong signal to other non-European donors.

The Government remains strongly committed to achieving the UN target. The issue of how best to meet the target, and in what timeframe, is under ongoing and active review. In this regard, and as I have stated previously, it is not intended that the commitment should be enshrined in legislation.