Ireland cannot use the financial downturn as an excuse for cutting its overseas aid bugdget, a body representing more than 40 non-governmental organisations said today.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures showed Irish aid spending fell by 18.9 per cent last year and Italy’s was down by some 31 per cent.
Germany’s spending fell by 12 per cent, Japan’s by 10.7 per cent and Canada’s by 9.5 per cent.
Ireland’s official overseas assistance – administered by Irish Aid- is expected to be about €671 million for 2010, which aid agencies say is at pre-2006 levels.
Irish Aid said, however, the figures showed Ireland remained one of the most generous donors internationally and that it was the seventh largest aid donor in the world in per capita terms.
Dóchas, an umbrella organisation representing 44 groups in the aid sector, said today’s figures showed more than half of OECD member countries had cut their aid budgets.
“Some developed countries, particularly some G8 countries (Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada) but also Austria and Ireland, slashed their aid spending, although the US and UK managed to increase their spending, despite the economic crisis,” Dóchas said in a statement.
“What today’s figures show is that some developed countries, such as Ireland, are blaming the financial crisis for their decision to cut overseas aid - but the crisis can’t be an excuse,” said Dóchas director Hans Zomer.
“What the Government seems to want us to forget is that the world’s poorest people are particularly affected by the global downturn: This year, more people go hungry than ever before. It is the one billion people that are living in absolute poverty that need our support, much more urgently than our mismanaged banks need a bail-out.”
Mr Zomer said world leaders had 10 years ago agreed the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ aimed at making the worst forms of poverty history.
These goals established “yardsticks for measuring results, for developing countries and rich countries alike”.
“The year 2010 is a key year for OECD and EU member states, who promised to help eradicate the worst forms of poverty by 2015, by providing the financial resources needed. If rich countries fail to deliver, it will be impossible to achieve the MDGs,” Mr Zomer said.
He said the assessment of the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon of progress on the goals showed a “mixed picture”.
“A number of countries have achieved major successes in combating extreme poverty and hunger, improving school enrolment and expanding access to clean water. These successes have taken place in some of the poorest countries, demonstrating that the
MDGs are achievable, given the right policies and adequate levels of investment,” said Mr Zomer.
“But the report also highlights that inadequate resourcing, as a result of unfulfilled promises by donor countries, is the biggest obstacle to this global drive to make poverty history..
“It is high time that our leaders deliver on their promises to the world’s poorest people.”
Oxfam said it was a “scandal” that more than half of rich nations cut their aid last year and are giving less of their income than the year before.
It said although the figures showed a “fraction” of an increase in total aid, the amount of aid had actually fallen when compared to 2008 prices.
“This lacklustre performance from donors is not close to meeting the needs of poor countries, who are suffering now from the impact of the economic crisis,” said Max Lawson of Oxfam.
A spokeswoman for Minister for Overseas Aid Peter Power said the difficult budgetary decisions which the Government had taken over the last 18 months had stabilised the public finances.
"Without these measures it would be impossible to grow the aid programme in the future. The Government looks forward to expanding the aid programme in the years ahead."
She said many of the countries mentioned in the report "did not address their budgetary situations as early as Ireland did".
More than 80 per cent of Ireland's €671 million on overseas funding this year would go to sub-Saharan Africa, "where our innovative programmes and partnerships mean that millions more people are properly nourished; their children can attend school and they can access life-saving drugs".
Additional reporting: PA