Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the breakdown of the programme changes that will be made in order to achieve the savings in his Department outlined in budget 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47896/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Budget 2010 statement and the Estimates for Public Services and Public Capital Programme published on 9 December provides for a total of €714 million for my Department for 2010 under Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs) and Vote 29 (International Cooperation). Under Vote 28, €56.4 million is allocated to programmes, which represents a reduction of €12.8 million on the corresponding allocation for 2009.

Savings amounting to €9m will accrue from the fact that support for the Referendum Commission will not be required in 2010 and reductions that will emerge on our contributions to International Organisations. Many of these contributions are denominated in dollars and during 2009 savings have already been made on foot of exchange rate gains. The Emigrant Support Programme to support Irish emigrants overseas and to facilitate extensive Irish-related cultural, business and community projects, will continue next year with a total allocation of just under €13m, a reduction of €2.2 million. This is sustainable without reducing support for frontline organisations assisting the most vulnerable and needy Irish emigrants who will remain the core focus of the programme.

Expenditure will be reduced by just over €1 million following the winding-up of the programme of support for the transition of EU applicant countries and the member states that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007. This programme has been very useful in assisting these countries in transition and in developing good relations with countries where we have not had a long-term presence.

Funding to my Department for Information services is reduced by €500,000 and funding to support cultural relations with other countries is reduced by €45,000. The grant-in-aid paid to European Movement Ireland and the Irish UN Association is reduced by €76,000. This reflects a reduction of €16,000 or 6.4% in funding of the European Movement Ireland and the discontinuation of funding for the Irish UN Association. All other programmes on Vote 28 retain their 2009 allocations.

On Vote 29, the proposed allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2010 is €536m compared with €571m for 2009. However, ODA as a percentage of Gross National Product (GNP), which is the internationally recognised measure of a donor's ODA programme, has now been stabilised and, based on current projections, will amount to 0.52% of GNP in 2010. Ireland's total allocation to ODA in 2010 is €671 million, including an estimated €135 million from other Government Departments and Ireland's share of the EU Development Cooperation budget.

Detailed allocations across the programme have yet to be finalised but will reflect our core objectives of poverty reduction and a focus on results. I expect that we will be providing in excess of €100 million to NGOs and missionaries, over €100 million to fight HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases and over €50 million for emergencies and assistance to fragile states. We will also ensure our commitments to our nine Programme Countries, seven in Africa and two in Asia are met.