The Labour Party’s spokesman on foreign affairs has condemned the Government's decision to cut Ireland’s overseas aid budget by €10 million more than was originally thought.
Mr Michael D. Higgins described the disclosure as "another example of the shocking dishonesty of this Government".
In June, it was discovered €32 million was being taken off the aid budget as part of Government cutbacks. But The Irish Timeshas learned this relates only to the part of the aid budget that comes from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
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An extra €8 to €10 million is being cut from the aid budget, which is funded by other Government departments.
Mr Higgins said: "It says much about the ethics of this Government that one of the first targets of Minister McCreevy’s knife are the poor and hungry of the developing world."
In Johannesburg, world leaders are preparing for the final stages of the Earth Summit. The talks on plans to cure chronic poverty and save the planet’s resources remain largely deadlocked, with negotiators listing problems over market access for developing countries’ products in developed markets and providing sanitation and electricity for the world’s poorest.
There has been disagreement over setting a date and other details for achieving the goals, rather than a vague commitment.
Around 100 world leaders have pledged to attend the last three days of the summit, with the exception of US President George W Bush, who is sending Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell in his place.
additional reporting: