Large public support for aid to Third World

Support by the Irish public for spending on aid for Third World countries remains high, a new survey reveals.

However, in Ireland and most other Western countries, there is a significant lack of awareness of development issues, according to the draft report carried out by the OECD Development Centre in Paris.

Some 85 per cent of Irish people expressed broad support for aid spending when the issue was last surveyed in 1999, the report finds. This compared to support levels of between 82 per cent and 91 per cent in previous surveys.

The Irish level of support is broadly comparable to that found in other OECD countries, with the exception of the US, where less than half of the population has expressed support in some surveys. However, support in the US and Canada is increasing.

In many countries, the report has found that an increase in support for aid has accompanied a decrease in the amount of aid provided. Aid spending in most Western countries - though not Ireland - fell throughout the 1990s.

Where there is greater awareness of specific issues - such as in Ireland - the report says this is due to campaigning by non-governmental organisations and coverage in the media.

"Countries that have a stronger focus on humanitarian aid and the poverty reduction objective, an active civil society with media support, good and long-running communications and development education focus, enjoy higher support for international development co-operation than other OECD countries and show signs of greater awareness about development issues," the report finds.

The report prepared by Ms Ida McDonnell reviews attitudes to development aid in 16 countries.

The Government's development programme, Ireland Aid, has recently completed a review of its operations in advance of promised substantial increases in its budget.