Eight out of ten Irish back overseas aid

A growing number of Irish citizens believe the Government can and should deliver on its overseas aid obligations.

In the survey, commissioned by Dóchas, the umbrella body of Ireland’s Development NGOs, eight out of 10 Irish people wanted the Government to fulfill its overseas aid commitment, 79% in this survey versus 75% last year.

However, the survey also found that the Irish public hugely overestimates the amount the Government spends on overseas aid, with some respondents believing as much as 9% of national income is contributed, far higher than the actual figure of 0.39%.