Aid pledge 'shows people power works'
The Government’s pledge to spend 0.7% of GNP on overseas aid by 2012 has proved people power works, Irish aid agencies claimed today.
The Make Poverty History Irish campaign said the country’s leaders have heard the message from tens of thousands of citizens that it is time for serious action to tackle world poverty.
“We’re disappointed that the Government has chosen to delay meeting its overseas aid commitment until 2012,” Hans Zomer of Dóchas, the co-ordinating agency of the Irish campaign representing 44 organisations, said.
“At the same time, the uncertainty that has paralysed the aid programme has now been removed, and with the new money for HIV/Aids, Emergency Aid and Capacity Building, Ireland can once again be at the forefront of the international fight against global poverty and injustice.”
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the UN Summit of World Leaders in New York last night that his Government would triple the amount it devoted to aid and spend €8bn over the next seven years.
“Today I recommit Ireland to reaching the UN target of 0.7%,” he said.
“This will be achieved by 2012, three years earlier than the agreed EU target date of 2015.”
Justin Kilcullen of Trócaire welcomed the new date for reaching the UN target for spending on overseas aid.
Mr Kilcullen said he was looking forward to seeing the Government’s year-on-year spending plan for the increased aid and hoped the Government would enshrine its new commitment in legislation.
“For us, the real issue now is how is this going to be copperfastened into the future,” Mr Kilcullen said.
Trócaire’s director added that Mr Ahern had confirmed the aid plan was only in place under the current Government.
“This pledge has got to be carried forward up to the year 2025 and beyond because the issues that are being dealt with here will take a generation to be solved,” he said.
“This decision gives Ireland renewed credibility, so while it might be a little bit disappointing that we didn’t reach the target we had hoped for, nonetheless in comparison to our European partners Ireland is now a leader in this regard.”
Mr Kilcullen said it was time for the Irish Government to move beyond depending on the non-governmental sector to implement its aid programme.
“Government to government aid is the key to this problem of tackling world poverty,” Mr Kilcullen said.
“The NGOs can play an important role as part in that but given the scale of funding involved, I believe there is a need for an upscaling of the official aid programme and the capacity to deliver on it.”
Paddy Maguinness, deputy chief executive of Concern, said public opinion had shown Irish people were in favour of increasing the overseas aid budget and this would ensure there would be no reneging on the commitment.
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