The Department of Foreign Affairs will next month change the name of its aid division to "Irish Aid", Government sources revealed yesterday. The current name of the division is Development Co-operation Ireland (DCI).
The new name will be part of a major campaign to heighten public awareness of Ireland's multimillion-euro overseas aid programme, including the opening of a "one-stop shop" information centre in Dublin.
The decision to change the name was taken at a meeting in Farmleigh late last month, involving Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Minister of State Conor Lenihan and senior officials from the department.
Ireland's aid programme has received positive assessments in peer reviews by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) but the body expressed concern at the lack of public knowledge about the level of aid and how it was distributed.
A memorandum to Government is to be circulated with details of the name change.
Government sources said little or no expense was involved as it was mainly a question of "changing letter-heads". The harp logo will also be used to emphasise this is a Government programme.
Sources said there was "frustration" among department officials because Development Co-operation Ireland sounded like an outside agency or non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The total of the Government's official development assistance in the past year amounted to €545 million and DCI was responsible for €470 million of this.
"Irish Aid" is considered catchier, like its American counterpart, USAID. The Australian government implemented a similar name change in 1995 when its aid division was changed from the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau to "AusAID".
The name of the Irish division had been Ireland Aid but was changed to Development Co-operation Ireland while Tom Kitt was the relevant minister.
The aid division is still scheduled to be decentralised to Limerick despite criticism of the move as misguided and a distinct lack of enthusiasm among staff. A White Paper on development policy, the first in the history of the State, is in preparation and will be published in mid-2006.
Meanwhile, Mr Lenihan yesterday announced an emergency and recovery package of almost €13 million for Africa and the Middle East. This includes €2.7 million for agencies working in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe; €1.85 million to Sierra Leone; €2.6 million for Northern Uganda and Sudan; and €2.75 million to Palestinian relief.
Mr Ahern announced €115,000 for international disarmament projects, including demining and landmine awareness, chemical weapons destruction and combating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.