Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 494: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the cuts in the Irish Aid and Overseas Development Aid budgets following the budget of 7 April 2009; the locations at which these cuts were made; and the areas in the aid budget. [15150/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The total Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget for 2009 will be €696 million. €571 million will be administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs, with the balance of €125 million being contributions to development co-operation by other Government Departments and through Ireland's allocation to the EU Development Co-operation Budget.

The total budget of €696 million represents a reduction of €195 million from the original allocation of €891 million provided by the Government last October, under the Budget for 2009. The Irish Aid budget, administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs under Vote 29, will absorb €183 million of this adjustment.

Adjustments totalling €183 million will be implemented across the programme in such a way as to minimise the impact in any one area. The continuity and quality of our programmes will be maintained, but funding timeframes will be extended and disbursement rates modified.

I will ensure that Ireland's clear focus on poverty and hunger in the poorest countries, especially in Africa, is retained. We will maintain the strategic approach set out in the White Paper on Irish Aid. We will work even harder to ensure the effectiveness of Ireland's aid so that it continues to make a real difference to the lives of millions of poor people.

We will maintain our position as one of the most generous donors internationally to the non-governmental sector. This year, notwithstanding the budget adjustments, Irish Aid will provide well over €100 million to NGOs and civil society. This is a very large sum and will make an enormous difference to the lives of millions in the developing world. Currently Ireland is ranked sixth within the OECD countries and fifth in the EU in terms of both our per capita and percentage share of GNP spend on ODA.

Our focus on our seven priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa will also continue, although the time-frames for specific programmes will be lengthened. Our programmes of strategic cooperation with key UN development agencies such as, inter alia, UNICEF and UNHCR will also be maintained, but within lengthened timelines. We also remain ready to assist in any sudden onset of natural disasters should they arise.

The decisions that we are taking in order to adjust the aid programme are framed in the context of our firm commitment to the world's poorest and our determination that, once the Irish economy has returned to a pattern of sustainable growth, we will resume the expansion of our aid programme.