FINE GAEL TD John Deasy says the Government is displaying “ambiguity” about its continued commitment to overseas development aid (ODA).
A reduction of €95 million in the ODA budget was announced recently as part a wider plan to reduce current expenditure.
Mr Deasy, who is his party’s deputy foreign affairs spokesman with special responsibility for overseas development aid, predicted further cuts could be on the way.
“I think there is ambiguity in Government circles as far as the aid budget is concerned, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there is another cut coming down the road,” he said.
He said a lack of public outcry at the cut could be attributed to the economic downturn.
He added: “Unfortunately this erroneous idea that the aid budget is partially going into the pockets of corrupt officials in Africa has grown in credence. In my opinion that’s completely untrue.”
The Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power, rejected Mr Deasy’s claim that the Government was being ambiguous about its continued commitment to ODA.
“I do not accept that ambiguity is setting in,” he told the Dáil last week.
“We want to achieve our ambitions, but we want to ensure that they are real, practical and realisable. There is no point in having false ambitions based on a foundation of sand.” The Minister said the ODA budget was subject to peer-review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and was recognised as being of the highest quality and one of the most effective in the world.
Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman Michael D Higgins told the Minister reducing the overseas development aid budget from €891 million to €796 million represented a “disproportionate” cut compared to those applied to other Government departments.
The Minister said the decision was a difficult one, which had been taken in the context of a wider attempt to curb expenditure. However, the ODA budget could not easily be compared to other budgets since it was expressed as a proportion of Gross National Product.
“Clearly, those who subscribe to our ambitious targets for overseas development aid would prefer not to make adjustments through cuts and savings across the programme.
“However, it must be seen in the context of the wider Government decision,” he said.
“We must ensure that the programme is sustainable, that it has a solid foundation and is not built on sand and that when we reach our target of 0.7 per cent, and our ambition to reach that target remains in place, it is 0.7 per cent of a robust, strong and thriving economy.
“Our development partners would not be served by granting them 0.7 per cent of an economy in freefall. The Government decision must be seen in that context.”
Last week, Fianna Fáil TD Ned O’Keeffe said the State should cut its support for the United Nations food aid programme in the current economic downturn.
