Written Answers - Overseas Aid.
Question:
23
Mr. Hayes
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the percentage of GNP that Ireland contributed in 1997 to third world development; the percentage in each of the previous ten years; and the projected percentage for the year 1998.
[4329/98]
Question:
58
Mr. Hayes
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the percentage of GNP that Ireland contributed in 1997 to third world development; the percentage in each of the previous ten years; the projected percentage for the year 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4328/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 58 together.
The percentage of GNP contributed by Ireland on overseas development aid for 1997 and the previous ten years was as follows: 1987, 0.22 per cent; 1988, 0.18 per cent; 1989, 0.17 per cent; 1990, 0.16 per cent; 1991, 0.19 per cent; 1992, 0.16 per cent; 1993, 0.20 per cent; 1994, 0.24 per cent; 1995, 0.28 per cent; 1996, 0.30 per cent; 1997 (Estimated), 0.31 per cent. The percentage of GNP spent on ODA in 1998 is expected to be equivalent to 0.32 per cent of estimated GNP.
The resources available for official development assistance — 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 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. This target is an interim step on the way to reaching the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP as soon as possible thereafter.
The budgetary expansion in the ODA programme has facilitated a qualitative change and an improvement in our approach. The increases in the budget have enabled us to focus on the objectives of poverty reduction and addressing basic human needs such as food security, basic education, primary health care and a safe water supply in our priority countries of Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
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.
The Irish Aid programme reflects these principles. A special programme on human rights has been established and has grown rapidly to £1.25 million this year. The list of priority countries for Irish bilateral assistance has been extended to include some of the world's poorest countries with the addition of Mozambique in 1996. Collaboration with non-governmental organisations has expanded and now accounts for some 15 per cent of the total ODA budget. Our participation in multilateral assistance is pursued actively and reflects the same principles as those which underpin our bilateral programme.
The House can be assured that the Government is committed to providing adequate resources for the ODA budget and that every effort will be made to ensure that our operational activities are of the highest possible standard.
