The Labour Party has attacked the Government’s failure to honour its commitment to allocate of spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas development aid (ODA) by 2007 as "ignominious and disgraceful".
The party today published its ODA bill, which it says will require all Irish governments by law to reach this target, which was made by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 2000.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said today providing aid for the world’s poor was "allowed to slip down the list of priorities" following the last general election and has now been effectively abandoned.
"Of all the promises made and broken by this Government, its broken promise on ODA to the world’s poor is the most ignominious and disgraceful," he said.
"It is a promise made not to the Irish people, but on behalf of the Irish people, to the world’s poor. As a country, we cannot allow our solemn word to be sullied in this way."
The Labour bill would make the payment of the 0.7 per cent target automatic. The money will be transferred from the Exchequer to a fund called the Development Co-operation Ireland fund. Money would be dispensed from this fund for selected projects, with all unspent money retained in the fund for future use.
The Green Party said it would use its Dáil Private Members Time this week to put pressure on the Government over ODA.
Party chairman John Gormley called on the Government to reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to this target at the forthcoming UN Millennium Summit.
"We recognise that debt cancellation is only part of what is needed to assist heavily indebted poor countries and that targeted and untied aid must continue to be given and significantly increased," he said.