Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 185: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the cut to overseas aid as announced earlier this month; if it is his intention to achieve a total aid budget of 0.7%; when he projects that this will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6790/09]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 186: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way the Irish Aid budget is to be cut; the way a decision was reached on the areas to cut from the Irish Aid budget; if he expects the Irish Aid budget to be cut further again later in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6791/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 186 together.

The Government's decision to reduce the 2009 allocation for Official Development Assistance from €891 million to €796 million was taken exclusively in the context of the very difficult economic situation facing the country, the need to curb public expenditure, and our determination to provide the conditions for renewed economic growth. When economic circumstances permit, we will resume the expansion of the aid programme, which has been a significant feature of Government policy over the past decade.

It is important to recognise that since 1999 Ireland's total ODA has grown from €230 million to €899 million last year. In the past six years alone, the Government has provided over €4 billion in untied development assistance, with a strong focus on the poorest people in the world's least developed countries. This year, Ireland can expect to maintain its position as the world's sixth biggest aid donor in per capita terms. Based on current economic projections, estimated spending on ODA in 2009 will be in the region of 0.54% of GNP.

The Government remains committed to working towards the target of spending 0.7% of GNP on ODA by 2012. Ireland is already significantly closer to achieving the target than most of our EU partners.

The priorities of the Government's aid programme will remain as set out in the 2006 White Paper on Irish Aid. Decisions on the implementation of the budget adjustments will be taken over the coming weeks. They will be based on our determination to ensure the effectiveness of the aid programme in the fight against global poverty and hunger, and value for money. The central priority will be to ensure that Ireland continues to make a significant contribution to the reduction of poverty and hunger, with a focus on the least developed countries and especially on sub-Saharan Africa. We will continue to place the needs of the most vulnerable people in these countries at the heart of the programme. We are taking a lead role internationally on the global hunger crisis. We will continue to focus on investment in basic services, including primary education and primary health. Sectors such as good governance, HIV and AIDS, gender equality and economic development will also remain important aspects of our aid programme.