Brendan Smith
Ceist:83 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the funding for official overseas development assistance in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11293/01]
Written Answers - Overseas Development Aid.
The official development assistance, ODA, figures for the period in question are as follows:
|
Year |
£m |
|
1997 |
124.1 |
|
1998 |
139.6 |
|
1999 |
181.4 |
|
2000 est. |
204.0 |
|
2001 est. |
260.0 |
The significant increase in 2001, 27%, follows the Government decision in September 2000 that committed Ireland to achieving the UN target for ODA of 0.7% of GNP by 2007. An interim target of 0.45% of GNP will be achieved in 2002.
Brendan Smith
Ceist:84 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's proposals to achieve the United Nations target for official overseas development assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11294/01]
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government decided last September that it would move progressively year on year to meet by 2007 the United Nations target for assistance to poorer countries of 0.7% of gross national product, GNP. In addition, it agreed to reach an interim target of 0.45% of GNP in 2002. Allocations to allow the Irish programme to reach the interim target have already been agreed with the Minister for Finance. As part of the decision on the target, the Government instructed that a review should be carried out with the view of outlining a renewed policy base for the programme. That review, led by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, is under way and a report is expected in a few months.