VSO sees cuts to the ODA budget as too severe
07/04/2009 00:01:00
VSO, the charity that recruits volunteers to work in developing countries, said that the €100M cut to the Irish government’s ODA budget announcement is too severe and will ultimately cost the lives of poor people living in developing countries. The charity also stated that due to rising unemployment, more Irish people are interested in volunteering overseas but VSO will be unable to send as many people abroad as planned. Today’s cut, as announced in the government’s ‘mini-budget’, means that the ODA budget has been reduced by a total of 30% (€195m) since June 2008.
VSO is adamant that this dramatic drop in funding will have a devastating affect on women, children and small organisations supported by the charity in Africa and Asia. 130–150 million people have been pushed below the €1.25 a day poverty line due to the current global economic crisis (World Bank). Today’s cuts make Ireland the first progressive EU country to renege on its commitment to the achievement of an aid budget of 0.7% of GNI.
VSO has seen a dramatic 530% increase in enquiries from Irish people looking to volunteer abroad in March this year when compared to the same period last year. As unemployment and redundancy levels rise, more and more senior professionals are looking to share their skills in developing countries, and phoning VSO for a volunteering job. But ODA budget cuts mean less Irish people can be placed overseas by VSO. It also indicates a roll back in planned VSO programmes in Sub-Saharan countries, were unprotected poor people will be most affected.
VSO funding provides crucial support overseas to education and health systems and community organisations working in areas such as human rights and income generation. The charity sees the move as damaging to Ireland’s reputation as a generous and giving nation. Now those who have been living in severe poverty for years are looking into an even bleaker economic situation due to a global economic crisis they did not create.
Speaking on the €100M cut, Malcolm Quigley, Director of VSO Ireland, said:
“It doesn’t make sense to make the poorest of the poor to pay for this crisis. We can cut 20% of the ODA budget yet we can raise 10 times the ODA budget to shore up the banks that caused this crisis. Where’s the fairness in that?
“VSO is just one of many Irish development charities that are suffering due to today’s government actions. It is clear that the governments promises to the poorest of the poor are being callously disregarded. I believe that people in developing countries will die as a result of this action.
“Despite cross-Party support for development, a further cut has to be absorbed by the world’s poorest people. All the Parties realise the consequences of such a move yet this budget has had been drastically cut."
VSO Ireland is an Irish Aid block grant recipient for HIV and AIDS programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa.
More information: Contact VSO Ireland on 01-8147070, email Deirdre.finlay@vso.ie or call Malcolm on 087 2375 925.
