Ireland pledges €1.5bn to fight global poverty

IRELAND committed itself to giving €1.5 billion or 0.7% of GNP to tackle poverty in the world by 2012, trebling its contribution and becoming one of the first countries to achieve the UN goal.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the United Nations summit that Ireland was not a "silent witness" to the tragedy of millions of children needlessly dying having more than doubled its aid in the past five years.

Irish aid agencies were delighted with the pledge and with the initiatives concentrating mainly on HIV/AIDS, food security and famine.