Photo: CNS Election candidates should be committed to increasing aid, writes Eamonn Meehan
It is important that Ireland’s new Government does what it can to protect the poorest and most vulnerable people in the developing world. As Ireland rebuilds itself after our economic crash we must ask what type of a society we want.
I would hope the next Government will look at the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the developing world and continue to recognise the responsibility that Ireland has to support communities facing injustice and poverty.
The outgoing Government spent 0.38% of Ireland’s gross national income on overseas aid. That is 38 cent in every €100. Ireland’s aid programme has been cut repeatedly since 2008 by almost 35%. These cuts impact on poorest and most vulnerable families and communities in the world.
Candidates
It is important that election candidates are supportive of overseas aid when asked on the doorsteps and are committed to increasing aid over the coming years as our economic recovery continues.
For me the question for any candidate is whether there is a commitment to overseas aid in their party’s manifesto and does that commitment clearly set a spending target of 70 cent in every €100 on overseas aid? Individual promises are well and good but specific pledges around overseas aid must be outlined in the next programme for Government.
Thanks to Ireland’s current overseas development budget Trócaire has programmes operating in 15 countries in the developing world. Irish Aid is providing critical support for protracted and forgotten crises in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Somalia. This support is saving lives, rebuilding communities and strengthening societies to hold their governments to account more effectively.
During this election Trócaire is also supporting an Irish ‘Robin Hood Tax’ campaign which is calling for the next Government to introduce a financial transaction tax on the financial services sector, applied to trading in bonds, shares and derivatives. It is estimated that even the smallest of taxes could generate between €320 and €360 million annually in Ireland.
The European Commission has proposed a tax of 0.1% on trading in bonds and shares and 0.01% on trading in derivatives, which is a modest amount but could be highly effective.
It is proposed that this tax would be allocated proportionally i.e. 50% to fight poverty in Ireland, 25% to fight poverty in developing countries, 25% to fight climate change at home and abroad. This would be a practical and pro-active approach for Ireland to adopt, which would allow us to reach our overseas aid commitments and to support important issues here in Ireland.
Do your local candidates support a financial transaction tax? If it matters to you then it is worth asking them at the door or investigating their party manifestos.
Supportive
With issues such as development aid, climate change and global poverty it can be easy for candidates and parties to be broadly supportive of everything. But are they willing to make solid commitments in a programme for government? Are they willing to commit annual expenditure to that issue if elected into Government?
Trócaire works in over 20 developing countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. We work with communities who face multiple problems caused by poverty and injustice. Many people live in countries where human rights are ignored; where the voice of the people is ignored and silenced, and where violence and abuse is widespread.
Around Ireland this Lent over 800,000 people are taking a Trócaire box and saying ‘I cannot ignore injustice and poverty and I want to make a difference for the common good in whatever way I can’. During this election I hope we can challenge our future Government to do the same.
*Eamonn Meehan is the Executive Director of Trocaire.