asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he foresees official Irish development aid reaching the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP.
Written Answers. - Official Development Assistance.
436.
The International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, the 1980s, was adopted at the 35th Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly on 5 December 1980. The strategy calls on developed countries which have not yet reached the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP for official development assistance to exert their best efforts to reach it by 1985 and in any event not later than in the second half of the Decade. The strategy also recommends that the target of 1 per cent should be reached as soon as possible thereafter.
During the formal adoption of the new international development strategy the Irish delegation made the following statement:
The Government of Ireland have accepted the 0.7 per cent aid target and intend to reach it as soon as possible, although it may not be feasible for them to do so within the specified time-frame. Although it is the Government's intention to increase ODA in the years ahead, it is not possible at the present stage for the Irish Government to envisage a committment as regards the 1 per cent target.
This reservation was made because of the need to make clear in the international forum specifically considering the issue the limitations of our ability in this regard. Many developed countries because of the present world economic situation are finding it difficult to step up their aid to developing countries. A number of our partners in the European Community cannot commit themselves unreservedly to the target and similarly made statements outlining their positions when the strategy was adopted.
However, as I pointed out in the Dáil on 22 January, the UN target of 0.7 per cent is one we hope to achieve and are determined to achieve over a period of time. A considerable step in that direction will be made during the period of the national plan, Building on Reality, which provides for an increase in ODA to 0.275 per cent of GNP (or about £50 million) by 1987. This is the first time that an interim target of this nature has been firmly incorporated into Government expenditure plans. The framework for planning thus provided will facilitate effective implementation of Ireland's aid programme.