Government attacked over aid cuts

Aid agencies have attacked the Government’s decision to cut the overseas development aid budget by a further €100 million.

The latest reduction, the fourth since July 2008, means the budget is now €225 million less than it was 10 months ago. The current budget for 2009 is now €696 million.

The Government has committed itself to spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas development assistance by 2012. After today’s cuts, the rate of spend represents 0.48 per cent of GNP.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said tonight the Government is “committed to resuming the expansion of the aid programme as soon as economic growth has been re-established”.

Hans Zomer, the director of the umbrella group for Irish aid agencies Dóchas, said the cuts went “well beyond what would be fair, proportionate or just”.

According to Dóchas, if Ireland’s aid budget were to shrink at the same rate as GDP, which is predicted to fall by 8 per cent this year, the decrease in overseas aid would be €71 million in 2009. This would bring the total budget to €828 million for the year  instead of €696 million.

Concern Worldwide chief executive Tom Arnold said the cuts were seriously disproportionate and would have serious ramifications for those in the developing world.

“We realise that the Government finds itself with tough choices to make at home, but this latest cut means that certain overseas programmes – many of which are quite literally a matter of life or death - will have to be stopped altogether or scaled down significantly.”

Mr Arnold said nearly one billion people are suffering from hunger around the world.