MINISTER OF State for Overseas Development Peter Power has defended the recent aid cut of € 95 million, arguing that it would help lay “proper foundations” for expansion of the budget in the future.
Mr Power was responding to a question by Fine Gael TD John Deasy at a meeting of the Oireachtas sub-committee on overseas development yesterday. Mr Deasy, who chaired the meeting, asked the Minister if he was satisfied that support remains within Government circles for the budget as it stands. “I’m not sure every Government representative is as committed as they were.” Mr Deasy said.
Mr Power said the decision to reduce the overseas development aid budget from € 891 million to € 796 million was “not taken lightly”.
“We are in an incredibly severe fiscal situation in this country. Unless we take these decisions now to allow the economy grow, it will continue to contract,” he said.
“You have to have economic growth for development aid. will allow us lay proper foundations for aid growth in the future.”
The Minister updated the committee on how Irish Aid, the Government’s overseas development division, is working to implement the recommendations contained in the hunger taskforce report published last year.
Last month, Kevin Farrell, a former senior official with the World Food Programme, was appointed special envoy to oversee the Government’s efforts to tackle food insecurity. Mr Farrell is due to report back to Irish Aid in 18 months, Mr Power said.
The Minister told the committee that each Irish Aid programme would be examined “through the prism of hunger” to determine if it requires reorientation in order to better reflect the new focus on the eradication of hunger as a “cornerstone” of Ireland’s overseas aid strategy and a key part of foreign policy.
Mr Power rejected Mr Deasy’s claim that the Government’s follow-up on the taskforce report had been mostly of an “abstract nature” since the report was launched last September. “This is a working, living document within the department,” the Minister said.
The report had had an impact beyond Ireland, acting as a “wake-up call” on the need to tackle global hunger. “People in the international donor community are talking about the Irish lead on hunger, Mr Power said.