Ireland urged to set date for reaching overseas aid target

The Government has been urged to set a date for fulfilling a pledge to allocate 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP) to overseas development aid.

Eric Solheim, of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, said Ireland had exited the financial crisis and should now plan how to restore the aid budget "back to previous levels and up to the global agreed target of 0.7 per cent".

The overseas aid budget has fallen by 30 per cent in recent years, having hit a high point of 0.59 per cent of GNP (€920 million) in 2008. It is expected to come in at some 0.43 per cent of GNP (more than €600 million) next year.

Mr Solheim said Ireland did better than many European countries in protecting the aid budget during the financial crisis. While it did not have to meet the 0.7 per cent UN Millenium Development Goal target in 2015, it was a chance for the country to get "on a trajectory" towards doing so, he said.

Mr Solheim was speaking in Dublin where he joined Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and Minister of State for Overseas Development Aid Seán Sherlock to publish an OECD review on Irish overseas aid.

The review states that having seen the aid budget decline “substantially” and Ireland miss a commitment to hit the 0.7 per cent target in 2012, the country “could reinforce its credibility with respect to meeting this target by defining a plan and timeline”.

Asked if the Government intended to set such a timeline, Mr Sherlock said he was “absolutely and utterly” anxious to reach the goal but that there were many competing needs the Government had to address. He said he was unable to say for definite that the goal would be reached by a specific date.

Mr Sherlock said the average aid contribution from other OECD countries was about 0.3 per cent, so Ireland was still ahead of the field in some respects.

Mr Flanagan said he hoped to be in a position to announce an increase in overseas aid after next year’s budget.

Seán Healy, of Social Justice Ireland, said Ireland should not compare itself to countries who did not reach the target, but should focus on the billions of people who need help in the world.

He said that in the lead up to a general election, setting a notional target such as 2020 for achieving the 0.7 per cent goal would be a “powerful statement”.

The OECD review of Ireland’s aid spending was largely positive, stating that the country “punches above its weight on global development issues” and “has a talent” for building networks and alliances to support development.

Mr Solheim noted that Ireland performed well in targeting how and where aid was spent, by reaching those who needed it most, and managing the money allocated by ensuring it did not slip away into corruption.

The report says Irish aid policy aims to combat hunger and poverty and this approach was “rooted” in public support, which made it a major strength of the aid programme.

It says Ireland also punches above its weight when it comes to responding to humanitarian crises and was viewed by international partners as a trusted colleague.

Mr Flanagan said the review showed that Irish citizens could be “immensely proud” of the work done using the overseas aid budget and the “difference it makes in the lives of millions of people around the globe”.