O’Flynn calls for end to Third World aid

FIANNA Fáil city councillor Kenneth O’Flynn has called on the Government to cancel Irish state aid to the poorest countries in the world, because, he says the country cannot afford it in the current climate.

Cllr O’Flynn said, “Last year we paid €696 million in Foreign Aid. At present we are the sixth largest donor in the OECD per capita and with regards to the EU we are way above average and are ahead of France and Germany with regards to spending.

“To think then that we only need about €150 million then to ensure that the most vulnerable in society get their Christmas bonus while huge sums of money flow abroad to countries which we do not really have any obligation towards.

“And the government does not even seem willing to make commitments which ensure that we enjoy beneficial trade agreements with the developing world and the countries we are funding.”

Cllr O’Flynn added, “We do not have an Imperial past or suffer from any forms of post-colonial guilt. We therefore should not try to go out of our way to try and show how generous we are to the Third World.

“I find it a bit rich that those who plug these causes most, like Bono do not even pay significantly into the Irish Exchequer, but yet feel as if they are the moral conscience of the nation when it comes to overseas development aid.”

Cllr O’Flynn attacked what he said were double standards in high places, “Bono is well able to wax lyrical for people in every corner of Africa. But he might look at areas of Cork, Limerick and Dublin where as we speak Irish children suffer from the most gross and unjustifiable levels of poverty.

“And to be frank until we have our own house in order we should not have to concern ourselves with anyone else’s.”

While the Cllr O’Flynn praised the many Irish charities working internationally in the fight against poverty he said that the Government “has to focus its attentions to affairs at home”.

In conclusion Cllr O’Flynn said; “It is not the job of the Irish Government to line the pockets of tin pot dictatorships when children across the nation don’t even have a basic breakfast.

“Our doorways are cluttered with homeless people and our elderly suffer from shocking and appalling neglect. Essentially all I am saying we look after own children first.”