The Government remains on course to meet ambitious targets on overseas development aid despite public spending cuts, Minister of State Peter Power said today.
Mr Power said his budget is protected from Finance Minster Brian Lenihan’s axe because it is based on the country’s GNP.
“I’m not going to pre-empt December’s Budget but Irish Aid funding is unique because it is tied to GNP,” he said.
Mr Power today launched Irish Aid’s annual report which showed that taxpayers donated 870 million euro last year to global humanitarian crises.
About a quarter of that amount went towards the work of NGOs and missionaries, mostly in Africa.
Mr Power said Ireland remains sixth largest aid donor per capita in the world and was on course to meet the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2012.
“It’s hard work staying up there but Ireland is at the cutting edge of international aid. It shows we are pushing out the boundaries,” added Mr Power.
The Rapid Response Corps now comprises 52 fully-trained volunteers who are ready to be deployed to an international disaster zone within 48 hours.
In the past year, experts in their fields have been sent to Somalia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique. Last week a logistics official was deployed to Georgia.
Stockpiles of emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and mosquito nets have also been supplied to Sudan, Pakistan, Mali, Uganda and Peru.
“We have never been in a better position to assist in saving lives and alleviating the suffering of the most vulnerable people during and in the aftermath of humanitarian crises,” said Mr Power.
Dublin-based Rapid Response Corps volunteer Marion Roche, who has more than 20 years of experience working with UN refugees, spent the past six months in Nepal.
“My role was to liaise with NGOs and assess how many people had been displaced from their homes due to conflicts between political groups and to help link them up with humanitarian services,” she said.
During 2007, NGOs were also given access to emergency funds to allow them to swiftly respond to crisis situations.
The allocation helped Concern to provide assistance to 38,000 people displaced from their homes by violence in Eastern Chad.
Mr Power is due to travel to the the UN in New York next month with Taoiseach Brian Cowen to hear reports on the progress of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Meanwhile, in a bid to build awareness of its work, Irish Aid will be hosting a tent at this weekend’s Electric Picnic and at the Ploughing Championships next month.
Free drumming lessons, African masks and t-shirts will be on offer at the boutique music festival at Stradbally Hall.
PA