asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the expressed concern of so many relief agencies and the general public, he intends to restore to an adequate level the funding for Official Development Aid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Official Development Aid.
48.
The amount earmarked for official development assistance in 1989 is £33.72 million which is an increase of almost £1 million on the amount provided in 1988.
Budgetary circumstances do not enable us to do more at present to help developing countries, but we will increase our contributions in the future as economic circumstances permit.
Would the Minister of State agree that it is a contradiction of the position he is conveying to this House that the cuts in total Exchequer spending represented 7 per cent and that the cuts in the Department for which he has responsibility amounted to 30 per cent? Does this not indicate a lower priority to overseas development aid than to other areas even if one accepted the concept of cuts in public expenditure?
Perhaps the Deputy was not listening.
I was.
May I repeat that the amount provided——
Strictly speaking, repetition is not in order on Question Time.
——for 1989 was £33.72 million which is an increase of £1 million on last year.
I am not going to argue and I am not going to continue this line of questioning because if we are not going to draw a difference between absolute figures and percentages there is no point. Perhaps I will ask another supplementary question which is this: will the Minister of State convey to the Government the political consensus that was indicated in this House on more than one occasion in favour of removing overseas development aid from general budgetary constraints and general budgetary planning in favour of an adequate level of funding? Does the Minister accept that in the bilateral aid programme, part of our official development aid assistance, there are 600 jobs directly involved and 1,200 jobs indirectly involved?
He has no choice but to put up the money.
First, I have no need to bring to the Government the concern that is felt in relation to the ODA because they are well aware of that concern. Secondly, I wish to reiterate that the amount of money allocated this year is £1 million more than last year. I wish to place on record my appreciation of the support I got from the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach when he was acting Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to the problems in the ODA. The Government have a concern for the ODA and in relation to the BAP the amount of money this year will fulfil all our commitments and allow us to start new projects.
Question No. 49, please. I want to deal with other questions within the prescribed time and I am sure I shall have the co-operation of Deputy Higgins.
You will indeed, Sir. May I finally ask the Minister of State if he has conveyed to Government the expressed wish of this House from all parties as late as last week that overseas development aid be funded from the Estimates rather than from the lottery and has he conveyed that opinion to Government?
I will convey that to the Government but as far as I am concerned money is money wherever it comes from and the people who got it in Sudan or Bangladesh did not care where it came from.