Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 5

Written Answers. - Policy Changes.

Michael Noonan

Ceist:

68 Mr. Noonan (Limerick East) asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the policy changes, if any, which underpin the increases or decreases in the subheads in Votes controlled by his Department; and if he will make a statement on whether increased or reduced services will be provided by his Department in 1993.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

My Department controls both the Vote for Foreign Affairs and the Vote for International Co-operation.

Vote for Foreign Affairs

There are no policy changes underlying the variations in the 1993 allocations for subheads on the Vote for Foreign Affairs and the Department will continue to provide the same level of services both in Dublin and through our embassies and consulates abroad.

The overall increase in the 1993 Administrative Budget under the Vote is mainly due to the cost of public service salary increases (Subhead A.1) and certain exceptional costs arising from the leasing of premises overseas (Subhead A.6) together with increased expenditure in foreign currencies owing to the recent devaluation of the Pound.

The 1993 allocations for Information Services (Subhead D) and North-South and Anglo-Irish Co-operation (Subhead F) are being kept at the level of the 1992 estimates provision.

Vote for International Co-operation

The provision for 1993 for International Co-operation shows an overall increase of 44 per cent over 1992 expenditure. This allocation fulfils the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government for an increase in Ireland's Official Development Assistance to 0.2 per cent of GNP in 1993.

There will be an increase of 71 per cent over the original 1992 estimate in the allocation for bilateral aid (which includes the Bilateral Aid Fund, APSO, emergency humanitarian relief and the care of refugees). Most of the increased provision for multilateral aid will be allocated to the international aid organisations and development agencies of which Ireland is a member. Our voluntary contributions to a range of UN development agencies (such as UNICEF and UNDP) will be doubled.