Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 December 2004
153 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the figures announced in the Estimates for 2005 for the overseas aid budget; the way in which he reached the estimate of 0.5% of GNP by 2007 when the calculations provided by Dóchas indicate that it will only come to 0.44% of GNP by 2007. [31727/04]
View answerThe Book of Estimates provides for an increase of €60 million in Government spending on official development assistance in 2005. This will bring total Government aid to the developing world next year to €535 million, an all-time record. In addition, the Government has agreed to make increases of €65 million in each of the years 2006 and 2007. As a result of these very substantial increases, €1.8 billion will be spent by Ireland on development assistance over the coming three years. It is not possible to predict precisely what the official development assistance-GNP percentage will amount to in 2007 given that the GNP growth rates for the next three years are not known. I hope we can get as close as possible to 0.5% but, as I have indicated, this cannot be predicted accurately at this stage.
154 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his proposals to meet the concerns of the diocesan council for the united dioceses of Cashel and Ossory regarding overseas development aid (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31783/04]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 70 and 146 on 24 November 2004.
