Sir, - In January 1997, as an invited representative of Campaign Aid to a Fianna Fail forum on human rights, I heard the party leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, explicitly commit Fianna Fail to increasing Irish overseas aid to 0.45 per cent of GNP during the lifetime of a government led by him. This commitment has been reiterated by Mr Ahern as Taoiseach and, regularly, by other government Ministers.
Now I read (The Irish Times, November 3rd and 6th) that, at a time of unprecedented Irish economic growth, the Department of Finance is refusing to significantly increase the foreign aid allocation in the 1999 Estimates and Budget.
Commentators agree that the Finance Minister, Mr McCreevy, has an embarrassment of riches to distribute in the Budget. His dilemma, we are told, is that, by pumping too much money into the Irish economy, he would fuel consumer spending and inflation, with dire consequences. An increase of £50 million or more in overseas aid would present no such problems and would benefit extremely poor countries. For some reason Mr McCreevy and his officials seem determined to resist this laudable and logical option.
To her credit, Ms Liz O'Donnell, the PD Development Co-operation Minister, recognising the indefensibility of this act of meanness, appears to be fighting hard for an aid increase. As someone who has witnessed the benefits of Irish aid to Ethiopia, I am appalled at the prospect that, in a time of national prosperity, the Department of Finance and its Minister should see fit to have the Taoiseach's pledges on overseas aid so thoroughly dishonoured. - Yours, etc.,
Colm Roddy,
Bayside Walk,
Dublin 13.