Ireland must take the "necessary steps" to reach its overseas aid committment of 0.7 per cent of GDP by 2010, an Oireachtas committee recommended this morning.
In a statement the Joint Committee on Foreign Affiars said it was its "strongly held, unanimous view" that the committment be met to help "the millions of people suffering from extreme poverty, disadvantage and disease".
Statement from the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs
In September 2000, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the UN general assembly the Government would achieve 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007. He told the Dáil last month that the target would not be met "but because of growth levels, and all the necessary adjustments".
The committee said this morning that Ireland must maintain its position as one of the top ten donors in the world.
"The quality of our aid is recognized by OECD as being among the best in the world," the committee, which is chaired by Fianna Fáil's Mr Michael Woods, said.
"Our aid is not phantom aid, or tied aid. It is real aid. We must not use the high quality of our aid as an excuse to hold back on reaching our targets.
"Five European countries have already achieved the 0.7% target while maintaining the quality of their aid. We should follow their example and learn from their experiences."
It said as Ireland was one of the wealthiest countries in the EU and "given the strength of our economy" can afford to increase its aid budget.
"In spite of our unprecedented prosperity and economic growth, our financial capacity to fund the increases required to meet the UN target by 2010, without negatively affecting government services has been questioned.
"These fears are unfounded, as 99.3 per cent of the growth in GNP will remain in the Irish economy with a relatively small amount of 0.7 per cent of GNP going to ODA [Overseas Develpment Aid]".
The Taoiseach has consistently defended Ireland's record on aid. "We lie at about number seven or eight in the world," he told the Dáil last month.
"This is an extraordinary achievement for this country and everybody should be proud of it. We subscribe the better part of €600 million towards overseas development aid, more than the entire capital programme for health in this country."
