Madam, – It is regrettable than much recent comment on the issue of Ireland’s overseas aid programme has been short-sighted and often based on a limited understanding. In that context three facts are of relevance.
First, the Irish Government continues to collect substantial amounts of taxation although not enough to cover all of the activities of the State. The documentation accompanying last week’s Budget showed that in 2011 the exchequer will collect almost €35 billion in current taxes and borrow over €15 billion. Taking into account revenue to the Social Insurance Fund and charges to local government, essentially in 2011 one in every three euro that the State spends it will borrow. Put another way, the State is not borrowing to fund everything it is doing.
Second, despite the current economic turmoil Ireland remains one of the richest and most developed countries in the world. The most recent United Nations Human Development Index, published in October 2010, placed Ireland as the world’s fifth most developed country. The most recent income data from the CSO showed that in 2009 the average disposable income (after taxes and social welfare payments) of an Irish household was €880 per week (€125 per day).
Third, Ireland has a long and proud tradition of assisting the most vulnerable people on this planet. Our aid programme, co-ordinated by the Irish Aid unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs, is concentrated in the world’s poorest countries and focused on assisting those fighting diseases, avoiding famines, developing basic educational skills and achieving the basic targets set down by the United Nations in the Millennium Development Goals. As most of these people live on less than $1.25 (€0.95) per day, the international poverty line, it is questionable if one can just walk away from their assistance.
Given all of the above, there are no grounds for Ireland to eliminate its aid programme as some have argued. Since 2008, the aid budget has fallen by 30 per cent – a cut far greater than that imposed elsewhere.
However, we remain a rich country, one with serious fiscal and economic problems, but not one that is poor enough to walk away from its commitment to the planet’s most deprived populations. – Yours, etc,