Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013
71. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm the cut to Ireland’s overseas aid budget for 2014; the criteria that he will use to determine which part of the programme he will cut; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55021/13]
View answer72. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will confirm that, in applying the most recent cuts to Ireland’s overseas aid budget, he will ensure that those programmes that are most directly linked to real and lasting changes for poor people are exempt from those cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55022/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together.
Ireland’s new Policy on International Development ‘One World One Future’ affirms our commitment to poverty reduction and to the centrality of development cooperation to Irish foreign policy. The Policy focuses sharply on the poorest countries and communities in sub-Saharan Africa and on three goals: reducing hunger; supporting sustainable development and inclusive growth; and better governance, human rights and accountability.
As the recent budget demonstrates, Government expenditure on ODA has broadly stabilised in spite of the very difficult economic circumstances. In 2014, the Government will be providing in the region of €600 million for Official Development Assistance. This will represent a small reduction on spending in 2013. Our new Policy, which has been widely welcomed, provides a coherent framework for the prioritisation and allocation of resources across the programme to maximise impact, strengthen accountability and demonstrate value for money. It also commits to improving efficiencies and strengthening performance across all the partners supported.
Our development programme in the years ahead, as it has done in the past, will continue to save lives, reduce hunger, build livelihoods and strengthen capacity for the day when development aid will no longer be needed in many of our Key Partner Countries.
