Cardinal calls on Lenihan not to cut overseas aid

The Primate of Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady has written to the Minister for Finance to appeal to him not to cut the overseas aid budget.

Aid agencies are concerned that cuts to their funding will form part of December's Budget, as the Government tries to make savings of €4bn.

Ireland has set a target to spend 0.7% of gross national product on overseas aid by 2012 but cuts have already been made in this area and it's predicted that more are to come in December's Budget.

In his letter to Minister Brian Lenihan today Cardinal Brady said: "Savings made through cuts to our aid budget will have a marginal impact on our own problems while having a devastating impact on the lives of some of the world's poorest people."

Cardinal Brady has urged the Government to keep the promises made to the world's poor and he has appealed to the minister "not to turn his back on these vulnerable people but to maintain our current level of aid spending until such a time as we are in a position to build it up again".