Agencies to meet Martin over overseas aid cut

Irish aid agencies are to meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin tomorrow over the Government decision to cut its overseas aid budget by €95 million.

Taoiseeach Brian Cowen announced the reduction in the Dáil last week as part of a Government plan to secure €2 billion in savings to the Exchequer.

The Overseas Development Aid (ODA) budget, which was set last October, will now be cut from €891 million to €796 million, a reduction from 0.56 per cent of GNP to 0.53 per cent.

Representatives of Dochas, the umbrella group of 39 leading aid agencies, will express their “deep disappointment” at the cuts when they meet Mr Martin tomorrow.

Dóchas director Hans Zomer noted that the Government has previously committed to providing 0.7 per cent of GNP in overseas aid by 2012.

"This commitment arose out of the fact that Ireland has always been deeply moved by the fate of people less fortunate than ourselves - that instinct runs deep in our national psyche - and must not change now," said Mr Zomer.

"Ireland's economic reputation has taken a severe hit in the past couple of months, but we still have our moral credibility. We want to remind the Government that Ireland's international credibility depends on adhering to its principles and pledges in difficult times as well as in good times" he added.

The ODA budget was reduced by €45 million in July 2007 and by a further €15 million last October, a total cut of 17.2 per cent.