185 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when Ireland's contribution in respect of overseas development aid will be brought to the UN recommended level of 0.7% of GNP; the timescale in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1663/00]

We accept and are committed to reaching the UN target for all donors of 0.7% of GNP. We have in addition set an interim target of 0.45% of GNP to be reached in the lifetime of the Government. However, our efforts to make progress to these targets have been complicated by the high growth in GNP since 1996 and also by the recent switch across the EU to a new system of calculating GNP in member states which increases the base GNP figure. Both these developments have adversely affected the trajectory to the UN and interim targets.

Despite this, the Government is pledged to increasing ODA by significant cash amounts year on year and to making credible progress to the targets. The three year agreement between the Ministers for Finance and Foreign Affairs on allocations over 1999, 2000 and 2001 is evidence of the Government's determination on the matter. Negotiations on extending these multi-annual allocations arrangement will commence shortly.