White Paper launch: Ireland's overseas aid programme is a practical expression of the values that define what it means to be Irish at the beginning of the 21st century, according to the Taoiseach.
"It represents our sense of broader social concern and our obligation to those with whom we share our humanity," Mr Ahern said at the launch of the Government White Paper on Aid yesterday.
Reaffirming the Government's commitment to increase aid spending to the UN target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product by 2012, the Taoiseach said the White Paper set out the blueprint for that expenditure into the future.
Irish aid was having a definite, positive and sustaining impact in the developing world, he said. In Lesotho, a priority country for Irish aid, school enrolment had almost doubled, while Irish assistance was keeping hunger at bay for over six million Ethiopians.
Because of its history, Ireland could rightly claim to empathise with those who are suffering from disease, poverty and hunger, but empathy was not enough. "We can make a difference, and we are doing so."
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the White Paper was inspired by the values of ordinary Irish people, especially their abhorrence of injustice and poverty.
"It marks a radical new vision of Ireland as a bridge between the developed and developing worlds. It is about bringing development from the margins to the centre, and about advancing a new phase in Irish foreign policy."
Having secured sovereignty and international recognition, and then secured peace and prosperity, Ireland was now assuming a new place in the world as a global leader in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment.
"We understand the developing world. We do not patronise. We grasp the complexities. And now for the first time we have substantial resources to devote to assisting some of the poorest countries in the world."
Minister of State Conor Lenihan told the launch the White Paper would confirm Ireland as a world leader in development.
"This White Paper is a roadmap to guide us in the greatest ever expansion of our aid efforts. It is making good on our promise to reach the 0.7 per cent target by 2012. It locks down the lessons we have learned over the years and sets out a number of new initiatives to guide that work into the future. We are strengthening our already robust systems to ensure that Irish assistance is used to best effect. In practical terms, this means: greater Dáil scrutiny; strengthening our audit and evaluation; insisting on adherence to human rights and basic democratic principles; and ensure value for money."
The publication of the White Paper follows a consultation process with Irish agencies and the public through a series of regional meetings last year.
