The Make Poverty History Irish campaign has offered Taoiseach Bertie Ahern a special "access all areas" pass for their Dublin rally tomorrow - but only if he has a credible plan to tackle the shortfall in overseas aid.
"There was a commitment made in 2000 by the Government, on behalf of the Irish people, to provide 0.7 per cent of our GNP in overseas aid," said Tom Arnold, executive director of Concern, at a press conference this morning.
"At the current pace this will take us until 2028. This broken promise needs to be repaired and the 0.7 per cent figure by can be reached by 2010."
The Make Poverty History rally has the support of more than 40 different organisations, development agencies, trade unions and campaigning groups. The main rally event will include established music acts, big screen video and speakers from the developing world.
Organisers expect thousands to march from Parnell Square to Merrion Square tomorrow evening and announcements about parking and access will be made later in the week.
John Daly from Action Aid Ireland said that sometimes global demands to wipe out world poverty can seem so huge as to be outside our control.
"But more and better aid is within the control of the Irish Government. 0.7 per cent of GNP is just 70c in every €100 of national income," he said.
Mr Arnold added that he thought that the issue was not just about money: "It is also about leadership and the role the Irish Government wishes to play in Europe, and the wider world, in working towards the Millenium Development Goals which include halving world poverty by 2015."
The reality of world poverty was described by Hans Zomer of the campaign: "One child is dying every three seconds, totally unnecessarily, we cannot afford any more warm words or broken promises. What we need is a plan that will actually deliver 0.7 per cent."
Eamon Stack, rally co-ordinator agreed: "To stand in a room with 80 babies who are orphaned due to AIDS and who will also die without medication, and there is no money to provide that life-saving medication, that is heartbreaking," he said.
Rock band The Walls, who will be playing at Merrion Square tomorrow, said: "If we can waste money in this country on electronic voting machines, fleets of mercedes for Government ministers and the national aquatic centre, surely we can spend 70c in every €100 making poverty history."