Taoiseach links aid funds to agencies' capacity

The Taoiseach has suggested that development agencies outline their capacity to handle additional overseas aid before increased resources are made available by the Government.

Mr Ahern made his suggestion in a letter dated four days after he told the Dáil he had made "a firm decision" to meet UN overseas development aid targets of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007.

The letter, seen by The Irish Times, was sent to the chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Mr Michael Woods, on October 20th.

In it Mr Ahern says there had been "many arguments" made about whether overseas aid was going to "the right organisations", and "one cannot simply pour in the money without watching how it is controlled".

He suggested that the committee could assist in determining this "...by exploring with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the NGOs in particular their capacity to handle such a huge level of increased funding, and whether there are any logistical or management issues that need to be addressed before such further significant increases in resources are deployed by the Government in this area".

Development agencies like Dochas, Trócaire and Concern yesterday told the committee there was an urgent need for the more funding.

If the Government's commitments were not met it would be "a very obvious breach of faith with the Irish electorate and the wider international community", said Concern chief executive Mr Tom Arnold.

He said it was "perfectly fair" for Mr Ahern to ask for assurances on their capacity to handle extra funds. "I believe that the highest standards of accountability are required, whether it be in terms of financial accountability or in terms of the development impact of the programmes which are being operated."

The deputy director of Trócaire, Mr Eamonn Meehan, said it had to turn down development programmes because of insufficient funding.

The UN target was "not particularly ambitious", the Dochas director, Mr Hans Zomer, told the committee. However the absence of a "clear growth strategy" from the Government was "making it difficult for people to strategise on a long-term basis".

Ms Liz O'Donnell of the Progressive Democrats said it was clear from yesterday's meeting that the NGOs had "no capacity problem".

Mr Ahern's queries and the subsequent committee meeting were useful in that "it allowed the NGOs to come in and confirm the need for more money, and allowed a thorough debate about the huge needs of the third world".