Agencies seek meeting over overseas aid cuts

Irish international aid agencies are today seeking an emergency meeting with Ministers Micheál Martin and Peter Power to seek clarification about the Government’s plans to reduce its overseas aid budget by €95 million.

The Overseas Development Aid (ODA) budget, which was set last October, is to be cut from €891 million to €796 million, a reduction from 0.56 per cent of GNP to 0.53 per cent.

The board of Dóchas, the umbrella group of 39 Irish aid agencies, met this morning to express its shock at the Government's decision to reduce the budget as part of the plan to save €2.1 billion this year

In letters to the two Ministers, Dóchas stated that the decision to cut the aid budget has raised serious question marks about the Government's ability and willingness to adhere to the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas aid by 2012.

"In yesterday's speech, the Taoiseach said once again that the Government will be guided by the principles of fairness and prudence, and that it is his intention to support the vulnerable in this time of economic difficulties. We are asking of the Ministers whether it is 'fair and prudent' to hit the poorest by cutting life-saving aid," said Dóchas spokesman Hans Zomer.

"It has been proven time and again that Irish aid works and reaches the poorest people; those who have not contributed to the financial crisis but are worst hit by it" he added.

Dóchas said it was concerned that Ireland is in danger of reneging on its promises to the poorest people on earth.

"We understand that the Government is forced to make difficult decisions, but these cuts are disproportionate, as well as wrong. The cuts in the aid budget represent 5 per cent of the total cuts made by the government, even though overseas aid represents less than 2 per cent of government expenditure," said Mr Zomer.

A Dóchas spokeswoman said no response has yet been received from the Government to the request for a meeting.

Fine Gael and the Labour Party have also criticised the decision to reduce the aid budget.