asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement regarding his policy in relation to Third World aid, including the allocation of expenditure in that respect this year; the way in which that money will be allocated and in view of the submissions of many of the organisations involved in Third World aid work and the distress in that area at the present time, the alternative sources of funding, if any, which exist.

19.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that official development assistance to the Third World will now fall to 0.185 per cent of the gross national product in 1988, the lowest it has been since 1981; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

21.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the provision of £11 million in the 1988 Estimate for overseas development aid, he will confirm his Department's commitment to the basic concept of the ODA Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

28.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the £4 million cuts in the grant-in-aid for bilateral and other aid contributions for developing countries, as announced in the 1988 Estimates for international co-operation, he will indicate the projects currently being undertaken in Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania and Sudan, which will now be discontinued; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

32.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the Government's proposals for Irish overseas development aid, in the light of the much reduced allocation in the Book of Estimates for 1988.

49.

asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason he chose to make so severe a cut, amounting to 29 per cent in the bilateral aid programme for underdeveloped countries; and if he will outline those of the current projects under the programme which are to be discontinued.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 19, 21, 28, 32 and No. 49 for written reply together.

Ireland's Assistance to Developing Countries, 1988

On a point of order, with reference to Question No. 21 there is a misprint on the Order Paper. The word "provision" should read "cut".

The Deputy is absolutely correct. I was going to advert to that matter. Thank you, Deputy Griffin.

Government policy remains one of commitment to the maintenance and expansion of official development assistance as soon as economic circumstances permit.

The amount allocated in 1988 is £32.2 million. This amount will be allocated as follows: £19 million will be paid in the form of multilateral aid via international organisations active in development; £12.5 million will be disbursed under the Government's programme of bilateral assistance to developing countries and the balance, £0.7 million, represents the cost of administering the bilateral aid programme.

Other than the Exchequer there is no alternative source of funding for official development assistance.

The funds available in 1988 will be sufficient to maintain a basic policy of assistance from Ireland to developing countries and our commitments to existing projects will all be honoured.

I will take the Deputies in the order in which they tabled questions.