Written Answers. - Overseas Development Aid.
Ivor Callely
Question:
53
Mr. Callely
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the amount of Ireland's overseas development aid over the past five years; the likely expenditure in this regard in 1998; his views on the actual aid provided; the countries to which it was provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22495/97]
Ireland's actual expenditure on overseas development aid over the last five years was as follows:
|
£m
|
ODA-GNP per cent
|
|
1993
|
54.67
|
0.20
|
|
1994
|
75.02
|
0.24
|
|
1995
|
96.12
|
0.28
|
|
1996
|
112.07
|
0.30
|
|
1993 (Estimated
|
122.18
|
0.31
|
Expenditure in 1998 is expected to amount to £137 million, equivalent to 0.32 per cent of GNP.
The resources available for official development assisstance (ODA) have increased significantly in recent years. Between 1992 and 1997, the budget has increased from £40 million to £122 million — a three-fold increase. Expressed as a percentage of GNP, the growth has been from 0.16 per cent to 0.31 per cent. Relative to other donors, the Irish performance as a percentage of GNP has increased from less than half the average of all donors in 1992 to a position of now exceeding the donor average. The Government is committed to maintaining a rapid rate of growth of ODA with a view to reaching 0.45 per cent of GNP by the year 2002, as an interim step on the way to reaching the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP as soon as possible thereafter.
Apart from the obvious consequence of permitting the ODA programme to increase in size, the budgetary expansion has facilitated qualitative change and improvement in our approach. In practical terms, this means we are able to support coherent development programmes targeted at the economic and social sectors. Assistance is provided for measures to support the quality of life and productivity of poor people, through, for example, the provision of basic education, primary health care and clean drinking water. The methods employed are kept as basic as possible, in line with locally available expertise and resources and in close collaboration with the recipient countries.
The composition of the Irish aid programme, therefore, reflects our objectives of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development in some of the poorest countries in the world; establishing and maintaining peace in developing countries by strengthening democracy, respect for human rights, gender and social equality; protecting the environment and providing a humanitarian response to natural and man-made disasters; and initiating measures to prevent impending emergencies, and building civil society and social solidarity.
Ireland's bilateral aid programme is concentrated on the priority countries of Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The other countries to which we have contributed under the bilateral aid programme includes South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sudan, the Occupied Territories, Albania, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Eritrea and Vietnam. These countries are among the poorest in the world and as a consequence the proportion of Irish Aid allocated to them is very high. Our fellowships, development education and co-financing schemes cover a broad range of developing countries which benefit from our bilateral aid programme. Funds are also made available to agencies working in countries suffering from or recovering from natural or man-made disasters. In recent years, these have been largely spent in Bosnia, Central Africa and Angola. Contributions to Irish and foreign NGO's ensure that development projects are funded in a wide-range of countries not only in Southern Africa but also in Asia and Central and Latin America.
Through our multilateral aid programme we contribute to the European Union's European Development Fund in respect of the developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and we also make contributions for development co-operation purposes in Asia and Latin America. In addition we contribute to the UN development agencies such as UNICEF, UNDP and UNHCR which provide assistance throughout the developing world.
