Higgins' plea to reverse overseas aid cut

THE Government was yesterday urged to reverse its decision to cut 32m euro from the overseas aid budget.

Labour foreign affairs spokesman Michael D Higgins said the level of hunger and disease in many developing countries, especially southern Africa, made the cutbacks a disgrace on all the Irish people. He said it was shameful that the cuts were approved with scarcely a murmur of political protest.

Mr Higgins said a UN report published last month had highlighted the huge inequalities which were growing in Irish society with special problems such as illiteracy. But he said the UN’s other findings about rampant poverty and famine were even more distressing