asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government have any plans to establish a planned timescale for reaching our United Nations target for aid to allow aid agencies to plan programmes properly and to attempt to rehabilitate our damaged international standing consequent to the cuts in our aid programme since 1987.

The Government have no plans to establish a timescale for reaching the United Nations target for aid to developing countries in the present state of the national finances. Successive Irish Governments have accepted the United Nations target of 0.7 per cent of GNP for official development assistant but no date has been set for its attainment. I would like to point out, however, that the amount allocated for official assistance in 1989 shows an increase of almost £1 million over the amount allocated last year.

I want to say first how very glad I am that the Taoiseach is answering this question. It has been extremely difficult to put these questions through a junior Minister and get a satisfactory response given that he does not have access to the Cabinet table or the decision-making process.

I want to ask the Taoiseach how he can live with this situation at a time when the need for aid is greater than ever. Since the beginning of the eighties there has been a disastrous downturn in the economies and social conditions of developing countries which had been making progress until then. Irish people have been dipping into their pockets more than ever but the Government have in this area, more than in any other area, cut funds over and above the average in any other Department.

I want to ask the Taoiseach if he is happy with the situation where we are third lowest of the 24 OECD countries in reaching our target and are nowhere near the EC or general average. Since he has taken over stewardship of this State——

This is becoming a very long question. Deputy Flaherty.

——I find it strange that the Taoiseach, who has a wonderful record in social reform, which he often points to, can defend this position.

I think the Deputy has made her point.

Will the Taoiseach give us an indication that the end is in sight and we will see a planned upturn?

The Deputy is embarking on a speech.

Short though it may be, the trend was actually upward between 1988 and 1989 and we have met all our legal requirements. If we had a comfortable domestic budgetary situation we could do a lot more. I do not accept the sweeping statements made by the Deputy about a number of aspects.

They are absolutely true.

We have had to accept very severe restrictions on desirable social expenditure at home and we do our best on the international scene. Even though we have a particular figure in the Estimates and budget, if a particular serious situation arises during the course of the year we do not hesitate to add to that on an ad hoc basis.

Would the Taoiseach agree that it would be useful in retaining some semblance of coherence in our overseas development aid commitments to return the debate about funding of such to the Estimates for the Department of Foreign Affairs, which he represents this afternoon in a very distinguished way, rather than to the lottery? Would the Taoiseach not agree that the allocations for overseas development aid or bilateral aid projects from the lottery, and this money is welcome, is damaging the continuity and structure of our programmes?

We are having a widening of the scope of this question now.

It is about accountability.

The amount of official aid is provided in the Estimates and the budget but if a particularly harrowing or disastrous situation arises in some part of the world we have access to lottery funding. On the whole I think it would be better——

The total funds quoted include the lottery money so that the real programme is fading out of existence.

I accept that there is some objection to lottery funds being used but on the other hand if you were one of those unfortunate starving persons concerned I do not think you would worry too much where the money comes from.

Absolutely.

I want to deal with another question.

I want to ask a brief question.

I think I have given Deputy Flaherty quite a lot of latitude in this matter.

I want to ask one brief supplementary.

I am now calling for the reply to Question No. 25.