asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when Ireland proposes to apply formally for membership of the Development Assistance Committee of OECD; if not, why; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

: I do not propose to initiate a formal Irish application for membership of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD at this time. A considerable increase in personnel resources would be required and I do not think that the size of our programme would justify such a move at this stage. As indicated in reply to question concerning DAC membership from Deputy Kavanagh in February of last year, Ireland takes a strong interest in the work of the DAC and we have constantly sought to apply DAC standards and procedures to our bilateral aid projects in recent years. The question of DAC membership is kept under review in the overall context of our evolving programme of development co-operation.

: Am I correct in saying that the Minister does not propose to seek formal membership of this committee at this stage?

: Not at this stage.

: Was there not an implicit commitment by the Minister's predecessor, Deputy O'Kennedy, who said in 1979 that the application was under consideration? Irrespective of the size of our aid programme is there not an obligation on us to get directly involved in the DAC having regard to the speech the Minister made on September 30 at the UN?

: The practicality of the matter is that we do apply DAC standards and procedures. We keep in touch with the DAC and apply their standards and procedures to our own bilateral aid programme. The fact is that the resources, the manpower, the personnel and funds that would be involved in DAC in my opinion do not warrant membership. They can best be applied towards effective and constructive ODA programmes. We want to apply our money under this heading to the maximum benefit.

: Is it not more correct to say that the real reason we are reluctant to seek formal membership of this committee now is that if we do seek full membership it will expose to the world our cutback on our obligations to the Third World from previous positions? Is that not the political reason why the Minister is refusing to join this committee?

: The Deputy is totally misinformed in this matter. As far as we are concerned the DAC is a very helpful organisation. We can maintain relations with it by applying their standards and without being members of it. The application of aid is a separate matter for ourselves under the bilateral aid programme. We want to utilise all that aid as far as possible in overseas development aid programmes.

: Am I right in assuming that we have frequently had observers at the committee meetings without full membership status? Is it true that the Minister is putting on the record of the House the fact that we are getting the benefits of membership of this committee without the practical obligations, which confirms my point?

: Does the Deputy want me to reduce the overseas development aid programme?

: The Minister has done that well enough himself and he does not need any assistance from me.

: If I adopted what the Deputy suggested I would be reducing that aid. I would then be applying resources in terms of manpower and money elsewhere than where I want to apply them, in the ODA recipient countries.

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