OVERSEAS AID:THE GOVERNMENT remains on track to meet UN targets on overseas development spending despite the announcement in yesterday's Budget that total overseas aid would be reduced to €891 million next year.
Vote 29 (International Co-operation) which relates to Irish Aid, the Government's overseas development division, has been allocated €754 million for 2009 - a cut of some €15 million.
A further €137 million will be allocated from the EU budget and other departments, bringing the overall spend on overseas development assistance (ODA) to €891 million for next year, or 0.56 per cent of projected GNP in 2009.
This compares to €898 million in 2008.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the percentage of GNP meant Ireland remained on course to achieve the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas aid by 2012. "The Taoiseach was very clear on this, he was anxious that our commitments would hold."