Limerick TDs sign petition against overseas aid cuts
LIMERICK TDs Jan O'Sullivan and Dan Neville are among those who have signed a petition calling on the Government not to cut the overseas development aid budget any further.
A group of 30 TDs and senators across the political spectrum urged the Government not to cut the aid budget in December. They warned that recent global events had created a "perfect storm" that could "envelop the world's poor."
The group, which includes seven members of Fianna Fil and three members of the Green Party, said cuts to the overseas aid budget had totalled j224m, or the equivalent of 24 per cent, since February, the biggest percentage cut imposed across any department.
The group pointed out that, earlier this year, the OECD praised Ireland as a "reliable and flexible" donor with a "cutting edge" aid programme.
"Ireland must stay true to its core values. These are values which contributed to our hard won international reputation as a nation, values such as solidarity, co-operation and integrity. One billion people, almost one in six people on the planet, are now going hungry, the first time this has happened in history," a statement from the group read.
Furthermore, they noted that the overseas aid budget represented less than one per cent of overall projected Government spending this year.
"Further cuts to such a small portion of our spending will have a very limited impact on our financial stability here in Ireland, but they will have a devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable people in the developing world.
"Never before has such a perfect storm enveloped the world's poor. The financial and economic crises have come on top of a food and fuel crisis in early 2008 and the ongoing climate crisis is likely to be the greatest challenge they have ever faced."
Minister of State Peter Power, who has responsibility for overseas aid, said he appreciated the cross-party support demonstrated by this letter.
"Any reductions in the aid budget to date have been done with the sole intention of stabilising our public finances. Even with the cutbacks this year, Ireland is still the sixth most generous donor of development aid in the world," he said.
Last weekend, Deputy Power defended officials from criticism by Niall Mellon about the Government agency Irish Aid. Mr Mellon, whose trust builds homes in South Africa, accused the aid programme of being "grindingly slow".
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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