Public `unaware' of £250m spend by Government on overseas aid

Irish people are "completely unaware" of the Government's spend of £250 million a year on overseas aid, the Minister of State responsible for the aid programme has conceded.

Ms Liz O'Donnell promised that a public awareness programme would form a central part of the expansion of Ireland Aid, the official State programme, which is to see its budget increase to over £800 million in the next six years. This is larger than the present defence and marine budgets combined.

"Public ownership is very important. If people don't feel a sense of ownership over the programme then it's meaningless," she told The Irish Times in an interview. "From my own experience, people are completely unaware of the extent of the official programme. When they think of aid they think of Goal, Trocaire, Concern. They don't think of the official programme."

Ms O'Donnell is currently chairing a review of Ireland Aid designed to chart future growth as the Government moves towards meeting United Nations targets for aid by the year 2007.

She outlined her preferences at the weekend for "an imaginative game-plan for growth". Much of the additional funding is likely to go on the existing six priority countries in Africa, and the designation of at least one additional African priority state. Vietnam, Laos and/or some of the Central American states could also be given priority country status.

Ireland is likely to make a special effort to combat the scourge of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, through its own efforts and contributions to a global fund. "A small country like Ireland can't take on the pandemic of AIDS. We need to work with other donors," Ms O'Donnell said.

The Minister defended her Department's continued support for African countries which have been criticised as corrupt and warmongering.

Corruption was widespread in the developing world, she acknowledged, but "there is corruption in the First World as well, as we know from dealing with our own democracy where we have clear examples of malpractice, bad governance and corruption which may well be proven.

"Even one instance of corruption could have a ripple effect which could undermine the necessary public support," she said.

Responding to attacks by Goal and other agencies on the human rights and corruption records of priority countries such as Uganda and Ethiopia, Ms O'Donnell said "hammering" developing countries was patronising and unfairly targeted people who had huge problems of poverty.

Donors such as Ireland had to make "an overall political call". "You stay with these countries during the hard times but you don't suspend your critical faculties. We continually assess the situation and have to be careful we're not taken for a ride," she said. Previously Ireland had pulled out of situations that proved "hopeless", such as Sudan.

Asked whether she could guarantee that Irish taxpayers' money was not being used by such states to free up other resources to fight wars, Ms O'Donnell said issues of sovereignty were involved, and every country had the right to defend its borders. "Telling Uganda what to do would be like the EU saying we won't give you structural funds unless you sort out the North," she said.

"You can't bypass African governments, because aid that bypasses governments is very short-term. You'd be saying that Africa is incapable of governing itself. It would be like saying the St Vincent de Paul should be running our social welfare department."