Written answers
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Department of Foreign Affairs
Overseas Development Aid
11:00 pm
Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1199: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will support a matter (details supplied). [31882/10]
James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1200: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps he will take to ensure that Ireland honours its commitment to contribute at least 0.7% of national income in overseas aid by 2015, in order to meet the goals to alleviate extreme poverty as outlined by the Millennium Summit in 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31899/10]
Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1208: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline his original targets for overseas development aid; the way that these targets have been changed as a result of the economic downturn; if we have met the targets set both original and revised in the years 2000 to 2009; the current targets for the years 2010 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32045/10]
Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1209: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his plans to meet the commitment to overseas development aid as a percentage of GNP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32046/10]
Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1210: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is still committed to spend by 2015, 0.7% of national income on overseas aid; the year on year increase in expenditure envisaged to achieve this target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32051/10]
Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1212: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will support a matter (details supplied). [32081/10]
Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1199, 1200, 1208 to 1210, inclusive, and 1212, together.
The international target for spending on Official Development Assistance is 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP). This is known as the UN ODA target. The EU has adopted this objective and Ireland is committed to meeting the 0.7% expenditure on ODA by 2015.
Over the 10 year period from 2000 to 2009, Ireland spent almost â¬6 billion on ODA, an enormous level of expenditure by any reckoning. This level of ODA has made Ireland one of the most generous donors in the world and we are currently placed as the 7th most generous international donor on a per capita basis.
Ireland expended 0.54% of GNP on ODA in 2009. In 2010 we expect to spend 0.52% of our GNP on ODA, thereby exceeding the interim EU target of 0.51%. While our ODA budget for 2010 represents a small decline in overall aid expenditure, this must be viewed in the context of the difficult economic situation facing this country and the imperative of returning stability to our public finances.
Over the coming months the Government will finalise preparations for Budget 2011. The over-riding aim will be to restore growth to the economy. This is the indispensable basis for the resumption of sustainable growth in the aid programme, to which we are committed. In the coming years, decisions on the budgetary allocations to ODA for each year will be made in the context of the progress made in achieving sustainable economic growth.
It is important to note that ODA as a percentage of GNP is only one measure used to compare our aid programme with that of our peers. Volumes are a measure of an aid programme. Quality is an equally if not more important measure. Ireland's aid programme is internationally recognised as being of the highest quality and having a sharp focus on poverty reduction and hunger eradication at its core. Most of Ireland's bilateral ODA is directed to the least developed countries, with a particular focus on a limited number of very poor partner countries, called Programme Countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Our aid programme has been peer reviewed very positively, as lately as 2009 by the OECD, and described as 'cutting edge', 'sharply focused on poverty reduction' and providing a 'leadership role in aid effectiveness'. The Government is determined that those qualities continue to be delivered across Ireland's aid programme.
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