Bono calls on Ahern to meet pledge

ROCK star Bono called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday to honour his personal commitment to give 0.7% of Ireland’s national wealth to developing countries when he attends the EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels this week.

Mr Ahern made this commitment to the UN General Assembly in September 2000 when he said Ireland would achieve this level of spending on Third World aid by 2007.

But the Government now insists Ireland will follow the EU timeframe for overseas aid, which is to provide developing countries with 0.7% of GDP by 2015.