Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2013
64. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland will spend 70 cents in every €100 on overseas aid by 2015 in line with the millennium development goals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28784/13]
View answer73. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his policy on international development co-operation; and if it is still his intention to reach the targeted spend of 0.7% of GNI on overseas aid by 2015. [29137/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 64 and 73 together.
The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme. Our new international development policy, "One World, One Future", clearly sets out our vision for a sustainable and just world, and our goals and areas of focus for the coming years. It reaffirms the Government’s commitment to international development and its centrality to our foreign policy. The new policy restates the commitment in the Programme for Government to achieving the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product for Official Development Assistance (ODA). Over the past two years, the Government has broadly stabilised the budget for development assistance. This is a significant achievement in the context of the very difficult economic conditions facing the country. We have allocated a total of €622 million for ODA for 2013. We will continue to work to maintain aid expenditure broadly at current levels until economic circumstances permit us to make further progress towards achieving the 0.7% target.
