John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 14: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way the reduction of €45 million in the amount of the overseas aid budget being allocated to the nine core programme countries in 2009 will be allocated to each of them; the programme areas within each of the countries that will be affected by these reductions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21794/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's aid programme, Irish Aid, provides assistance to over ninety developing countries. Nine have been designated as Programme Countries, with a commitment to long term strategic assistance. These are Tanzania, Zambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Vietnam and Timor Leste. In 2009, the total programme budget for these countries will amount to almost €200 million. Additional funding will be channelled through Irish Aid support for the development work of Non-Governmental Organisations, and in response to humanitarian emergencies. This level of funding underlines the Government's commitment to the central priority of the aid programme - to ensure an effective Irish contribution in the fight against global poverty and hunger, with a strong focus on the least developed countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

I very much regret that it has been necessary to reduce the budget for overseas development assistance for 2009. The total aid budget this year will be €696 million, €571 million of which is administered under Vote 29 of the Department of Foreign Affairs. In implementing the necessary adjustments to the Irish Aid programme, we have worked hard to ensure that our strategic partnerships with developing countries are not undermined. Nonetheless, it has been necessary to adjust elements of our bilateral assistance to Programme Countries.

The original 2009 programme budget allocations for the nine priority countries have been adjusted as follows. The allocation of €33.84 million for Ethiopia has been revised to €27.84 million. The allocation of €12.92 million for Lesotho has been revised to €11.42 million. The allocation of €9.88 million for Malawi has been revised to €8.88 million. The allocation of €46.5 million for Mozambique has been revised to €40.5 million. The allocation of €37.5 million for Tanzania has been revised to €33.5 million. The allocation of €4.92 million for Timor Leste has been revised to €3.42 million. The allocation of €41 million for Uganda has been revised to €35.5 million. The allocation of €19.75 for Vietnam has been revised to €13.75 million. The allocation of €27.21 million for Zambia has been revised to €23.21 million.

These adjustments will be implemented in a manner which ensures the continued delivery of basic services such as health and education, and maintains the Irish Aid focus on the poorest and most vulnerable people and communities. I want to assure the Deputy that the continuity of our agreed development programmes will be maintained. It may now be necessary, however, to extend funding timeframes and modify disbursement rates in some cases.

The difficult decisions we have had to take in relation to the overall aid budget, and our bilateral assistance to the Programme Countries, have been based solely on the need to restore stability to the public finances and ensure a return to sustainable economic growth in Ireland. We have discussed the implementation of the adjustments with the Governments and organisations which are affected. We have also assured them of our clear commitment to resuming the expansion of the aid programme as soon as economic conditions allow.