Vol. 535 No. 5
58 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will confirm the target date for the Government to meet the United Nations target of 0.7% of gross national product as a contribution to development aid. [11481/01]
122 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which he proposes to increase the overseas development aid programme with a view to bringing the Government's contribution up to the UN recommended level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13301/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 122 together.
As the Deputies will be aware, the Government decided last September to move progressively to the United Nations target for assistance for poorer countries of 0.7% of GNP and that this target would be reached by the year 2007.
Based on the GNP estimates available at the time of the decision, projections were calculated to increase the scale of the programme annually sufficient to reach an interim target of 0.45% of GNP next year and the UN target of 0.7% of GNP in 2007. Those same projections informed an arrangement whereby the core element of official development aid – vote 39 – the aid allocation under my control, was agreed with the Minister for Finance for a three year period from 2001 to 2003. The intention of this unique deal was to ensure the interim target would be reached and that momentum to the UN target would be maintained thereafter.
|
Year |
ODA% |
ODA£m |
Vote 39£m |
AnnualIncreaseVote 39£m |
|
2000 |
0.31% |
208 |
137 |
|
|
2001 |
0.35% |
260 |
188 |
52 |
|
2002 |
0.45% |
365 |
293 |
105 |
|
2003 |
0.48% |
419 |
347 |
54 |
|
2004 |
0.53% |
501 |
429 |
82 |
|
2005 |
0.59% |
592 |
520 |
91 |
|
2006 |
0.64% |
693 |
621 |
101 |
|
2007 |
0.70% |
806 |
734 |
113 |
