Aid U-turn still dogging Government

THE Government came under fire once more yesterday for failing to honour its promise of committing 0.7% of gross national product (GNP) to overseas aid by 2007.

Labour published a bill which, if the party were returned to power and could enact it, would enshrine the 0.7% figure in law.

This would compel the Government of the day to pay the 0.7% without question each year. The money would automatically come off the State’s central fund without recourse to a Dáil vote. A similar system already operates in the case of the National Pensions Reserve Fund, which is automatically afforded 1% of GNP each year.