Irish aid agencies told the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday 3 September that aid cuts mean deaths in developing countries and called for the cuts to cease.
Speaking at the meeting, Trócaire director Justin Kilcullen said the use by the Government of the 0.7% target to bolster its case for cuts was a “perversion” of the intentions of the UN. Trócaire is ending its programmes in Zambia, Nigeria, Peru and Indonesia, while Concern says it has to cut 500 jobs worldwide.
During the debate, Senator John Hanafin and Deputy Noel Treacy asked whether aid could be tied to Irish products.
Tom Arnold of Concern responded that “part of the Irish Aid programme’s international reputation is due to the fact it is untied.” He argued that much of the growing trade links between Ireland and Tanzania were due to the goodwill generated by the Irish Aid programme, linked to the fact that it was untied. He also pointed out that tied food aid from the United States has been heavily criticised.
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Transcript of the debate in the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee: http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=FOJ20090903.xml&Node=H3#H3
RTE News coverage of the NGO presentation: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0903/9news_av.html?2603887,null,230