IN DODOMA, Tanzania, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore has robustly defended the Government’s commitment to achieving a UN target of allocating 0.7 per cent of national income to overseas aid by 2015, arguing that Ireland’s aid programme “opens doors” to future opportunities in Africa’s rapidly growing economies.
Mr Gilmore acknowledged, however, that reaching the UN target would be “very challenging” given the State’s straitened circumstances. “It’s about setting priorities, it’s also about saying who we are, and remaining committed to the obligations we have as a country to the world’s poor,” he said. “We also have to look at the whole area of aid in the longer term, and the opportunities that it provides for Ireland to grow economically and build economic links with countries to which aid is being provided.”
The Tánaiste described Ireland’s aid programme as “something we as a country should be proud of”. He said it gave the State “a great deal of clout” in the world.
Mr Gilmore was speaking during a visit to Tanzania, where he met the country’s president, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, and prime minister, Mizengo Pinda, to discuss how the bilateral relationship can move beyond one defined largely by aid towards closer trade and economic links.
As with several other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania expects its economy to grow by 8-10 per cent annually over the next five years, much of it driven by Chinese, Indian and Turkish investment. Diplomats say there has been an increase in the number of “speculative visits” by Irish business people, particularly in the energy and construction sectors. The ESB’s international arm has a €15.5 million contract with a US-funded agency to supervise a €140 million electrical works scheme. An Irish engineering firm is involved in major road construction and water supply projects.
Mr Gilmore’s trip comes amid growing debate at home over Ireland’s overseas aid budget of €670 million per year, or about 0.52 per cent of national income. Department of Finance briefing documents say increasing the budget to meet the UN target of 0.7 per cent could result in cuts elsewhere.
Last year Ireland provided €31.3 million in bilateral aid to Tanzania, a country of 44 million people. Mr Gilmore noted Ireland’s overseas aid had already been cut by 30 per cent since 2008. He said he was confident the general public supported maintaining current levels of funding.