A €25 million reduction in overseas development aid is among the measures introduced in today's Budget.
Despite the cut, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the Government is committed to resuming the expansion of the aid programme as economic circumstances improve.
A total of €536.4 million has been allocated for overseas developmental aid (ODA) in the Budget. This, combined with a further €135 million from other Government departments and Ireland’s contribution to the EU’s development co-operation budget, means the country’s total official development assistance for 2010 will be €671.4 million.
This is equivalent to 0.52 per cent of gross national product, according to current projections.
Mr Martin said that Ireland will remain one of the most generous aid donors internationally in per capita terms.
“This stabilisation in our ODA programme has been achieved against a background of enormous budgetary pressures and reflects the determination of the Government, supported by the Irish people, to help those in the world who can least help themselves,” he said in a statement.
“Irish people can be proud that, despite the enormous economic difficulties over the past year, we are delivering an internationally recognised aid programme, which is sharply focused on the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger in some of the poorest countries, especially in Africa,” he added.
Mr Martin said that given the recession, Ireland will not be able to meet its target of spending 0.7 per cent of GNP on overseas development assistance by 2011. However, he said he hoped this target would be reached by 2015.
"It is important to note that Ireland remains ahead of most member states in progress towards the 2015 target and that we will exceed the interim target set by the EU of spending at least 0.51 per cent of GNP on ODA in 2010," he said.
Dóchas - the umbrella group of Ireland’s Development NGOs – said it was disappointed at the cut, which would mean “severe hardship for countless poor people".
Chief executive of the aid agency Goal, John O'Shea, said: "Given the current economic climate and the hardship which is currently being endured by people throughout the country, Goal appreciates that further cuts had to be made to the ODA budget.
"The decision to reduce Ireland's overseas aid by another €25 million means it is now imperative that we ensure that every cent reaches the people for which it is intended - the poorest of the poor."
"We would appeal to the Minister to ensure that these cutbacks do not impact on the work of implementing Irish NGOs such as Goal and the Irish missionaries - groups who have a proven track record of delivering for the poor and giving value for money."
Ireland's biggest humanitarian organisation, Concern has described as "a massive blow" a fifth cut in overseas aid funding in just over a year and the breaking of the commitment to give 0.7 per cent of GNP to overseas aid by 2012.
"We live in unprecedented times and we are acutely aware of the huge challenges facing this country and the poorest and most vulnerable people in Ireland, said Derek McDowell, head of Advocacy at Concern.
"We must not let them down, but neither must we forget the one billion people in developing countries who are going hungry every day with no social welfare or other ‘safety nets’, and with the looming threat of malnutrition and often death by starvation facing them," he added.
