The Progressive Democrats last night signalled support for their former minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, who accused Fianna Fáil of reneging on the Government's overseas development aid commitment without consulting the PDs.
Sources said last night that the party supported Ms O'Donnell, who yesterday criticised the new Minister of State responsible for Overseas Development Aid, Mr Conor Lenihan, for announcing that the Government would not reach a target for overseas development aid, set in 2000.
Mr Lenihan brought a heated reaction from Ms O'Donnell and opposition deputies and senators when he said a commitment to reach 0.7 per cent of GNP for overseas development by 2007 might not be honoured by then.
He made the statement yesterday at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The commitment to reach the target was given by the Taoiseach at the UN in 2000 and he has reaffirmed it since.
Ms O'Donnell said yesterday that this ODA commitment was politically driven by the two parties in Government and agreed by the partners. Now the new Minister had reneged on it without the knowledge of or discussion with the Government partner.
Party sources said last night that the matter had been raised at a meeting of the PDs' TDs and senators. "The view in the parliamentary party is that the Taoiseach made that commitment. We should discuss alternatives, not announce the unilateral abandonment of the target without setting an interim goal," they said.
The Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday decided to ask the Taoiseach to attend its next meeting following Mr Lenihan's statement.
Ms O'Donnell said she had attended with the Taoiseach when he made the commitment.
It was very much a part of Ireland's campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council, she said. "After the Taoiseach's commitment to the UN, the schedule was agreed at Cabinet, and to my knowledge there has been no Cabinet agreement to unravel it," Ms O'Donnell said.
She described it as quite surprising that the new Minister on his first public engagement should publicly resile from that. "To my knowledge the Taoiseach has not withdrawn from this commitment. Did he [ Mr Lenihan] ask the Taoiseach before making the statement?" she asked.
Ms O'Donnell said she understood there was cross-party consensus on the issue. It was also discussed with the Social Partners and had strong public support.
"The credibility of Ireland is at stake here. The Government should not resile without putting in place a clear schedule. It is unconsciable for the Government to be seen to be backsliding," she said.
Mr Lenihan denied that he was resiling on the commitment and said he was trying to be realistic.
Referring to Ms O'Donnell's comments, he said: "I'm sure she will find her own leaders will be realistic on this as well."
It was a solemn commitment, but he had to look at what could be achieved in the time-scale, he said.
"I would hope sincerely that, when I leave office in 2007, my legacy with regard to the 0.7 per cent will be that in that year we will be within striking distance, if not exactly on target, of that figure," he said.
When Ms O'Donnell countered that it was a policy change, he insisted that it was not. He said to achieve the target they would have to increase expenditures by up to €180 million per year depending on the rate of GNP growth. This would essentially mean doubling the programme within three years.