The Minister of State said that he is answering Question No. 49 in combination with the other questions. Question No. 49 in my name asks him to justify the cut of 29 per cent in the bilateral aid programme and it asks him to tell us what projects will be discontinued. The Minister has now said that no project will be discontinued to which a commitment has been made. If this is true, why is the programme in Sudan not proceeding? Is it not absurd to have sent an officer and allocated him to the Sudanese projects and then to have said that as a result of these Estimates there will be no projects in Sudan despite a famine?

I repeat that commitments to existing projects will be honoured. In relation to the first part of the Deputy's question, the maintenance and expansion of official development assistance will be continued as soon as economic circumstances permit.

A Cheann Comhairle——

A number of Deputies who have tabled questions in respect of this matter have yet to be called. I called Deputy Sherlock earlier but he did not respond at that stage. Seemingly he is offering now.

Would the Minister of State agree that as the reduction in expenditure is the equivalent of the amount raised by subscriptions given to Live Aid, it is a mandate from the people to keep up the level of contribution to development aid?

The House would do well to remember that whether the money comes through direct subscriptions or from tax it comes from the people.

Deputy Charles Flanagan has put down a question and I am calling him. He is not present. Deputy Higgins.

I do not want to waste the time of this House but I wish to return to my Question No. 42 to which I need an answer. The taxpayers spent money last year on sending a representative to set up a project in Sudan which is addressed to famine relief. This year that programme is being disestablished. Is that true or not? Under the World Food Fund, is it not true that famine has been reported from Tigre in Ethiopia and because £1,000 was put in it will not be possible to send money? Have not the voluntary organisations — the NGOs — told the Minister that they do not want to be used as a scapegoat for cuts in overseas development aid?

The NGOs have not told me that they do not want to be used as a scapegoat. I have not met the NGOs, as the Deputy——

Obviously.

A meeting was held less than a fortnight ago. I was not asked to it.

It was a meeting to which the Minister of State was invited but to which nobody came.

Order. Deputy John Kelly.

Is the Sudanese programme cancelled or not?

The Deputy has not put down a specific question about Sudan. The Deputy's question was down for written reply yesterday.

The Minister offered to answer it and it was not answered.

Order. Deputy John Kelly has been called. The Minister and the Deputy will obey the Chair.

If the Deputy puts down a specific question I will answer it.

My Question No. 28 refers specifically to Sudan.

I have said that any commitments will be honoured. What more do Deputies want?

This is getting very untidy because the Chair is not being obeyed by either side of the House. I am calling Deputy John Kelly.