Proud of overseas aid

I disagree with the letter (‘Financial emergency is on our own soil’, Jun 6), which sets up a choice between the needs of Ireland’s sick and those of the poorest people in the world.

This is wrong. Our overseas aid budget amounts to less than 0.48% of our income, while our aid programme is rated among the best in the world — by the United Nations, the OECD, and independent think tanks, such as the Centre for Global Development. I am proud of Ireland’s overseas aid record and hope that Ireland reaches its UN commitment, to spend 0.7% of GNI on overseas aid, to ensure a healthier, safer and better world for all of us.

Ross McCarthy