Ireland may look to see improvements in governance and in women’s rights and education in countries that receive international aid from the State in the future, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated.
Mr Martin on Thursday defended Government spending on international aid amid criticism that it had not yet reached the target of allocating 0.7 per cent of gross national income.
At the United Nations in New York this week the Government announced contributions of €110 million over three years to new global initiatives to tackle childhood malnutrition and diseases such as Aids, malaria and TB. Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said there would also be a significant boost in international aid funding in the budget next week.
Speaking at the United Nations in New York on Thursday, Mr Martin said he was “wary” of using percentages in determining funding levels. “I’ve always been wary myself with percentages of GNI and GDP as barometers, because it very much depends on a high growth level, for example. On a high growth level, where you have high percentage, you’ll never chase it. But when you get low growth or negative growth, you suddenly look much better.”
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He said Ireland was seen positively across the developing world as a country that was serious, not just in terms of financial allocation, but in terms of how best to change systems, from governance, from women and conflict, resourcing those areas.
He said governments in some countries receiving international aid did not like questions of governance being raised.
“I think [these] have to come more and more into the reckoning now in terms of when we allocate funding and so on like that we do want to see improvements in governance, we do want to see women treated better, in terms of conflict situations, in terms of education and so on.”
Separately, Mr Martin also said he was concerned at energy companies increasing standing charges.
“In relation to standing charges, we will be examining that also. There is no room for energy companies to exploit this situation in any shape or form and I would be concerned by any increase in standing charges in terms of how they would impact the public. There needs to be really clear transparency around all of this and proper explanations and accountability around all of this by the energy companies to the public and to government on this issue.”
NI protocol
The Taoiseach also said he was “satisfied that there is a generally positive mood” to see if the issue of the Northern Ireland protocol could be resolved.
Asked about his delay in arriving in New York due to engine problems on the Aer Lingus aircraft from Ireland, he paid tribute to the aircrew and said there had been a bird strike and “these things happen in aviation”.
He said the Department of Defence and the Air Corps were reviewing issues relating to the Government jet which is used to travel to the UK and Brussels. He said that particular aircraft had had its “challenges” as well. “But generally, transatlantic, we’ve never used government jets, we use the tried to trusted methods.”
Last week comedian Tommy Tiernan criticised the Government for failing to reach the 0.7 per cent aid target. He said the Government could “give what’s needed if they wanted” when it came to overseas development aid.
Mr Martin said: “It is not that simple, in terms of jumping from a particular percentage to 0.7. It’s not that simple.”
He said traditionally Ireland had been one of the stronger countries in supporting food programmes.
