asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is satisfied with Ireland's contribution to Third World developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
16.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Contributions to Third World.
15.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland's aid to the Third World will be increased to 0.7 per cent of GNP in line with the United Nations target; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions 15 and 16 together. I am satisfied that the allocations for Ireland's programme of official development assistance over the last ten years have been generous in the circumstances obtaining. The financial provision for this purpose increased from £1.5 million in 1974 to £33.8 million in 1984. This is equivalent to about a fivefold increase in real terms. Expressed as a percentage of GNP, official development assistance grew from 0.05 per cent to 0.23 per cent over the same period. Thus we are now one-third of the way towards achieving the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP as official development assistance whereas in 1974 we provided only one-fourteenth of the target level.
These are satisfactory rates of growth against a background of ten exceptionally difficult years for the Irish economy and public finances. Moreover, it is guaranteed that this rate of growth will be maintained over the coming three years in accordance with the provisions of the national economic plan, Building on Reality. On this basis, official development assistance will reach 0.275 per cent of GNP, or about £50 million, in 1987. The framework for planning provided by this undertaking facilitates effective implementation of the programmes concerned. Moreover, the House can be assured that against the background of the present crisis in Africa and the very generous response to it of the Irish public the Government will continue to strive to further increase their aid programmes in the future with a view to achieving the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP as ODA as soon as possible.
Does the Minister agree that in view of the fact that there is devastation and hunger in Ethiopia and the sub-Saharan Continent it is a sad day's work that the Government have reduced their commitment to alleviate world hunger from the original amount agreed in the Programme for Government between Labour and Fine Gael.
We have not abandoned our programme. Given the very difficult financial position we have, our performance compared to other countries has been very good over the last ten years.
There are people dying of hunger a short plane journey away from this country. It is my understanding that the Labour and Fine Gael Parties entered into an agreement but the amount has now been reduced in the plan Building on Reality. Will the Minister consider introducing a Supplementary Estimate in view of the generous response given voluntarily by the public at large?
I accept the fact that people in many parts of the world are suffering from hunger and that the assistance voted by this House and given generously and voluntarily by the public makes a contribution towards alleviating that distressful condition. In the plan Building on Reality there is a commitment built in by the Government to give almost a 50 per cent increase over three years. If the Deputy looks around Europe and at wealthier countries he will not find that matched.
Does the Minister agree that given the terrible poverty and hunger particularly among children in the sub-Saharan Continent it would be very difficult for us to ask other countries to set targets when we are not prepared to meet the targets we originally set ourselves and when the Government are not prepared to keep up with the voluntary target set by the public at large?
I do not agree with that. The Taoiseach did not find the slightest difficulty at the Summit held here in December in asking other Governments to make a special contribution towards the famine in Ethiopia. I am certain that such a request from this country would be listened to and agreed to again because by European and world standards our record is extremely good. We have no apology to make to anyone. I should like to see us reaching our target of 0.7 per cent as soon as possible. The fact that we have written into the plan an increase over the next three years which is way above any projected levels of inflation is something we should be proud of and not something we should denigrate.
Will the Minister state the Government's policy in regard to the UN target of providing aid equivalent to 0.7 per cent of GNP?
That is the target we hope to achieve and we are determined to achieve it over a period of time. We will be increasing our contribution threefold in the next three years.
Surely the Minister must accept that the provision made in Building on Reality did not provide for an increase in aid to the Third World to meet the UN target. The Minister must agree that the Government reneged on that target when they committed themselves to provide a lesser sum than the UN target over the period of the three remaining years that this Government claim they have in office.
That is not correct. As I said in reply to the original question, the target of 0.7 still stands and I think that is what any party who might be in Government would wish to achieve. What we have written into our plan is a very ambitious movement towards achieving that target. Our record in this regard is that each year, with the exception of one year, there has been a growth in the amount of aid under this heading in the various budgets.
Will the Minister accept that because of the vast amounts the people have contributed voluntarily, they have indicated clearly their desire to aid the struggling peoples in the Third World especially in those places where starvation is being experienced? Surely the Government should respond to the wishes of the Irish people in this matter. The people expect the Government to live up to the commitment they have made as a member of the UN and to reflect the concern expressed by the people for those who are starving.
I have already expressed my appreciation of the magnificent response of the people between summer and Christmas to the famine in Ethiopia but I must point out that in drawing up our plan, Building on Reality, the Government have likewise responded to the situation by writing in a figure indicating the growth in the amount of money that will be provided in the coming years and this is infinitely greater than the projected inflation rate, five or six or perhaps even ten times greater.
But well below the UN target.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.