Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the additional actions he proposes to take regarding the renewed programme for Government in view of budget 2010. [47340/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government is designed to be implemented across the full range of government Departments and over a series of budgets. The current budget was prepared having full regard to the Programme for Government and is designed to implement the Programme rather than to stimulate actions additional to it. In terms of my Department's core responsibilities in implementing the Programme, they remain unchanged by the Budget. Our work in the European Union and UN continues as does our work in other priority areas.

In terms of the financial resources to implement the Programme, the major programme in my Department is ODA. The published estimate for my Department protects the allocation of funding for ODA in 2010 at 0.52% of GNP. This is a significant achievement. Against the background of very difficult economic circumstances and enormous budgetary pressures, the Government has succeeded in stabilising allocations to the aid programme. The budgetary reductions that have been made in other areas have concentrated mainly on economising on administrative costs. Actions identified in the Programme for Government will continue to be implemented and adequately resourced.