Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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125. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has examined the reduction in overseas aid budgets of other troika programme or bailout countries; his views on whether the scale of the Irish overseas aid budget is proportionate to our means in comparison to our EU colleagues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47015/13]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme and to its place at the heart of Irish foreign policy. The programme reflects the values of the Irish people and is a concrete expression of our determination to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Our new policy on international development - One World, One Future - maintains the Government’s focus on assisting the poorest countries and communities, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, renews the focus of the programme in terms of our trading and economic interest with the developing world, and reconfirms the Government’s commitment to achieving the UN target of providing 0.7% of GNP for Official Development Assistance (ODA) when economic circumstances permit.

Over the past three years, despite the very difficult economic circumstances facing the country, the unprecedented demands on the exchequer and the imperative to reduce the fiscal imbalance in the public finances, this Government has managed to largely stabilise our ODA budget. This must be seen as a very significant achievement, particularly in light of the challenging budgetary constraints we faced in that period. It represents a clear demonstration of the Government’s commitment to the international aid programme.

The most recent data published by the OECD Development Assistance Committee relates to aid flows for 2012 and shows that ODA budgets across many donors are under some pressure as Governments have reduced spending in response to the financial crisis. However, the data also clearly shows that Ireland continued to be a generous donor by international standards.