asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when Ireland proposes to apply formally for membership of the Development Assistance Committee of OECD; if not, why; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Overseas Development Aid .
1.
: I do not propose to initiate a formal Irish application for membership of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD at this time. A considerable increase in personnel resources would be required and I do not think that the size of our programme would justify such a move at this stage. As indicated in reply to question concerning DAC membership from Deputy Kavanagh in February of last year, Ireland takes a strong interest in the work of the DAC and we have constantly sought to apply DAC standards and procedures to our bilateral aid projects in recent years. The question of DAC membership is kept under review in the overall context of our evolving programme of development co-operation.
: Am I correct in saying that the Minister does not propose to seek formal membership of this committee at this stage?
: Not at this stage.
: Was there not an implicit commitment by the Minister's predecessor, Deputy O'Kennedy, who said in 1979 that the application was under consideration? Irrespective of the size of our aid programme is there not an obligation on us to get directly involved in the DAC having regard to the speech the Minister made on September 30 at the UN?
: The practicality of the matter is that we do apply DAC standards and procedures. We keep in touch with the DAC and apply their standards and procedures to our own bilateral aid programme. The fact is that the resources, the manpower, the personnel and funds that would be involved in DAC in my opinion do not warrant membership. They can best be applied towards effective and constructive ODA programmes. We want to apply our money under this heading to the maximum benefit.
: Is it not more correct to say that the real reason we are reluctant to seek formal membership of this committee now is that if we do seek full membership it will expose to the world our cutback on our obligations to the Third World from previous positions? Is that not the political reason why the Minister is refusing to join this committee?
: The Deputy is totally misinformed in this matter. As far as we are concerned the DAC is a very helpful organisation. We can maintain relations with it by applying their standards and without being members of it. The application of aid is a separate matter for ourselves under the bilateral aid programme. We want to utilise all that aid as far as possible in overseas development aid programmes.
: Am I right in assuming that we have frequently had observers at the committee meetings without full membership status? Is it true that the Minister is putting on the record of the House the fact that we are getting the benefits of membership of this committee without the practical obligations, which confirms my point?
: Does the Deputy want me to reduce the overseas development aid programme?
: The Minister has done that well enough himself and he does not need any assistance from me.
: If I adopted what the Deputy suggested I would be reducing that aid. I would then be applying resources in terms of manpower and money elsewhere than where I want to apply them, in the ODA recipient countries.
2.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department will consider preparing a four year rolling programme for overseas development aid with provision for overprogramming in order to be in a position to absorb the shortfall in the take-up of moneys allocated in any given year for multilateral aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
: The ODA Programme as a whole is made up of a number of elements. For some of these, financial responsibility rests with Ministers other than myself. In several parts of the programme, there is already an element of multi-year planning. For example, many of our multilateral contributions are made on a multi-year basis. On the bilateral side, projects carry over from one year to the next. I do not think that the shortfalls, which have occurred from time to time on the multilateral side of ODA, constitute a serious problem, as these can, with the exception of certain items, be appropriately transferred to other sub-heads, thereby ensuring that the out-turn is as close as possible to the allocation each year.
As far as the ODA Programme as a whole is concerned, multi-year planning is, of course, under constant consideration in the context of improving the quality of programming. I understand that the Advisory Council on Development Co-operation is considering this question also. I look forward to the outcome of their discussions and will examine whatever suggestions they may put forward very carefully indeed.
: I accept that the Minister has requested advice from the advisory council on this matter but I forecast that their advice will be similar to that given by every other voluntary agency in this area, to support in principle the concept of a rolling programme be it of three, four or five years. Is the Minister prepared in principle to accept the recommendation of the advisory council if they recommend such a programme? The Minister is more than familiar with the arguments for and against.
: I have a very open mind on this matter.
: That is my problem.
: We will give close consideration to all details. There is merit in what has been suggested by the Deputy with regard to having such a rolling programme on a multi-national basis.
: The Minister has gone to the trouble of setting up an advisory council and I should like to know if it would be too much to ask him to listen to their advice?
: I will. I await it with great interest.
: And since they are going to confirm what everybody else has been looking for in advance—I am not committing the Minister to any money—would the Minister accept their advice to introduce a four-year rolling programme? It is not a lot to ask at this stage.
: I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of my discussions with the council but I will meet the members in a constructive manner. I am going a long way with the Deputy when I say there is a lot of merit in what he has suggested.