asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he accepts, in the light of the Central Bank estimates of GNP and inflation, that the Official Development Assistance budget for 1981 represents a drop in real terms as a percentage of GNP, by comparison with the 1979 and the 1980 ODA Estimates; and what the amounts should be in order to increase their value in real terms.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Official Development Assistance Budget.
25.
As the Deputy is aware, the allocation for overseas development assistance this year is £18 million as against an out-turn of £16.22 million in 1980 and an out-turn of £13.18 million in 1979. At this stage it is not possible to say definitively what percentage of GNP the 1981 allocation will represent since GNP estimates are subject to subsequent adjustment which must await the confirmation of prevailing economic factors. In the meantime I am not able to comment on the matter of an increase in real terms referred to by the Deputy.
Would the Minister accept the figure provided in the CONGOOD ODA targets for which his predecessor in the Department of Foreign Affairs gave full support? Would the Minister also accept that the moneys that should be provided in this year would amount to £30.1 million to maintain the target to bring us in line with the figure of 0.35 per cent which is an interim figure of GNP and that therefore the Government have reneged on the promise given by Fianna Fáil in office by an amount estimated at approximately £12 million?
The Government have reneged on no such promise because the figure for ODA has almost trebled since the Government took office in 1977 from £6.3 million to £18 million in 1981.
Perhaps the Minister is not familiar with the facts because the figure relates to a percentage of GNP and not to absolute sums. Would the Minister not accept that the considered estimate by all interested bodies and all professional bodies is that we should if we are to maintain ourselves on target be making a contribution in ODA of £30.1 million. By the Minister's admission we are making a contribution of only £18 million and therefore there is a shortfall of about £11 million. That is a betrayal of the commitment repeatedly given by Deputy O'Kennedy as Minister.
Question No. 26.
ODA as a percentage of GNP has almost doubled from 1976 from 0.1 per cent to 0.18 per cent.
It should be 0.25 per cent.
I regard increases of almost double as very creditable in the number of years.
(Interruptions.)