Government urged not to cut overseas aid budget

REPRESENTATIVES FROM the overseas development sector, including the director of Trócaire, yesterday urged the Government to keep its aid commitments despite challenging economic circumstances.

Since June the aid budget has been cut three times, the most recent last month when it was slashed by €95 million, a cut that amounted to some 10 per cent of the total overseas assistance programme.

There are fears within the development sector that next month’s emergency budget could contain further cuts.

At a briefing for Oireachtas members yesterday, Trócaire director Justin Kilcullen, while acknowledging the economic difficulties faced by the Government, said it should not renege on its aid-spending commitments.

“We cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in our own troubles to the extent that we forget the world’s poorest who are suffering the most as a result of the financial crisis, a crisis which they played no part in creating.”

Hans Zomer, director of Dóchas, an umbrella group representing 39 development organisations, told TDs and Senators that cutting the aid budget would be a short-sighted measure.

“Any short-term gains of cutting the aid budget now will be undone by the long-term damage that the Government will do to millions of poor people, and to our reputation as a country that keeps its promises.”

Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews, who chaired the meeting, said the aid budget should not be considered a “soft touch or easy target” by the Government as it seeks to reduce spending.

“In addition to the monetary reduction, these ad hoc cuts mean that it is very difficult for Irish Aid to budget for the months ahead and places uncertainty on the future of projects that assist people in some of the poorest parts of the world,” he said.