Overseas aid: The Government will find it "difficult" to achieve its self-imposed target of allocating 0.7 per cent of Gross National Product to Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) by 2007, the Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Tom Kitt, admitted last night.
The Estimates for Public Services show that, although there is an increase of €25 million in cash terms, Ireland's overall ODA contribution will remain at slightly above the current figure of 0.41 per cent of GNP, raising serious doubts as to the feasibility of reaching 0.7 per cent by 2007.
"It will be difficult to reach that target by then," Mr Kitt acknowledged. At the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, the Taoiseach announced the Government's intention to reach the target.
Mr Kitt said the objective had not been abandoned but he indicated that the time-frame might be revised: "I am saying that it is an area that I will have to give some consideration to over the coming months."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, pointed out that the amount allocated for ODA had almost quadrupled since Fianna Fáil and the PDs came into office in 1997.
Mr Kitt said the allocation of €399 million was an increase of 7 per cent on the 2003 figure.
The executive director of Unicef in Ireland, Ms Maura Quinn, welcomed the increased contribution to ODA.