Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 May 2003

Vol. 567 No. 7

Written Answers. - Overseas Development Aid.

Damien English

Question:

51 Mr. English asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he remains committed to the education for all programme agreed at Senegal in 2000; if his attention has been drawn to the considerable concern that sufficient funding is not being allocated to ensure that the goals are met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14882/03]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

Education is one of the most important instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and for laying the basis for sustained economic growth. The importance of every child in every country having the opportunity to complete primary school forms the basis of the Dakar Framework for Action agreed in Senegal at the World Education Forum in 2000. The Dakar goals were affirmed again as Millennium Development Goals at the UN Summit in September 2000. I am fully committed to the collective undertakings which we made at Dakar.

Support for education is an integral element of the Government's strategy for reducing poverty and promoting human development in developing countries. Our overall aim is to assist partner countries to build sustainable education systems appropriate to their needs. We support not only the internationally agreed targets but also the achievement of locally set objectives which are developed in consultation with stakeholders in education in the country concerned.

The depth of our commitment is evidenced by the considerable proportion of our aid budget which is allocated to education. In the last decade, even though the level of aid flows to education have declined worldwide, Ireland's financial contribution to this sector has significantly increased.

In 2002 a total of €47 million was spent on education. The corresponding figures for 2001 and 1999 were €37 million and €15 million, respectively. Of this total expenditure, the largest proportion is allocated to basic education. In 2001, for example, primary education accounted for 79% of total expenditure.

While our allocations to the education sector have been on the increase, this is not the trend at international level. I am concerned at the gap which is developing between the goals we agreed in Dakar and the achievements to date as outlined in the Education for All Global Monitoring report published in 2002. Progress towards the Dakar goals is insufficient and the world is not on track to achieve Education for All by 2015. It is estimated that US$4.2 billion annually will be required over the 15 year period if the education for all goals are to be met. This would require a tripling of the current level of resources. In view of the critical importance of education in poverty reduction, I will ensure that education remains a key priority for the Government's aid programme and that allocations to this sector reflect the emphasis attached to it at Dakar.