On Sunday 2nd March, Minister Joe Costello announced in an interview with the Sunday Business Post that the Government has admitted it does not intend to fulfill Ireland's commitments to donate 0.7% of our Gross National Income towards ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) by 2015. The commitment was first made in 2000 by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern when Ireland was securing a place on the UN Security Council.

IDEA says, “Aid not only supports the poorest people in the world, it supports long-term development and helps to break the cycles that keep people and communities poor. It is also about educating people in Ireland about what we can do to tackle the root causes of injustice and inequality. Abandoning our aid commitments risks undoing all the progress that has been made to create a more just and sustainable future for everyone.”

Ireland has historically been seen as a leader on the global stage in the area of overseas development. Recent public opinion surveys show that 83% of EU citizens support ODA and want their governments to keep their aid promises. IDEA is calling on the Government to sustain Ireland’s positive international status and outline a new timeline for reaching the 0.7% target.