Dail Report: Taoiseach Bertie Ahern defended the Government's record on overseas development aid in the face of renewed Opposition criticism.
He said he would like Ireland to be the number one subscriber. "We lie at about number seven or eight in the world. This is an extraordinary achievement for this country and everybody should be proud of it. We subscribe the better part of €600 million towards overseas development aid, more than the entire capital programme for health in this country."
Mr Ahern said that every year the Government was increasing its overseas development aid package by a vast amount.
"In the last budget, the first by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, a €1.8 billion package for overseas development aid for the next three years was outlined."
The Taoiseach was replying to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who said he was annoyed that in September 2000, with no election in sight, Mr Ahern had made a solemn commitment to the UN assembly, before the eyes of the world, that the Government would achieve the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007.
"He made this commitment based on the information available to him with the consent of his Government and on behalf of the people of Ireland. When it became politically expedient for the Government to break that promise, it did so."
Mr Kenny said that the State could be very proud of the outstanding work done by our NGOs which dispensed aid all over the world.
"It is a pity that our reputation in the eyes of the world is now being besmirched by the fact the Taoiseach broke the promise he made on behalf of the people and the Government."
Mr Ahern said that with the packages announced, Irish aid would amount to about €700 million by 2007. "I would have liked to have had the ability to reach the 0.7 per cent target, but because of growth levels, and all the necessary adjustments, we would have had to be contributing sums of approximately €200 million to achieve it."
The reality, Mr Ahern added, was that this country had slipped back far less than any other country. "The United States of America, the biggest economy in the world, has no target. The United Kingdom, which is being held up in lights at present in respect of the G8 summit - I wish them well - has a lower target than ours. It is not contributing the kind of resources we are contributing, nor has it made the kind of strides we have made.
"France is totally ambivalent."
Mr Kenny said he was not talking about France, the UK or the US, but about the Taoiseach, who had made a solemn commitment before the eyes of the world that the Government would achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007.
"The Taoiseach knew the implications when he made that commitment and was promised before that he would get a seat on the Security Council. What is the value of his word? What does his word mean? What did it mean in terms of the health services where €50 billion has been spent since 1997 and yet there were 257 patients lying on trolleys around the country yesterday?"
Repeating that the Government had delivered substantially to overseas development aid, Mr Ahern said that some €150 million had been delivered when he came to power and it was heading towards €700 million, which was a huge achievement.
"Unlike most places in the world, Ireland should be very proud that it does not have tied aid. Former president Clinton said he would like the US to have done half of what we did. It is amazing that people all over the world recognise what Ireland has done for overseas aid."