Cuts in the overseas aid budget of almost 22% in the past four months represent an appalling dereliction of our national duty to the poor.

When Bertie Ahern made a solemn commitment to the United Nations that this country would meet the UN target of 0.7% of GDP to overseas aid by 2012, it was more than a personal promise; he was talking on behalf of the entire population of this country.

Just last year, on 25 September to be precise, Taoiseach Brian Cowen reiterated his predecessor's sentiments when he told a high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals at the UN in New York that:

"It is nothing short of scandalous that there are over 860 million hungry people in the world today. We do not need to make further pledges if we just deliver on what we have already promised."

Surely, if it was scandalous last year that so many of the world's population go hungry, it is just as scandalous now.

In the same speech Cowen said: "The commitments and the know-how are already there. It is the political will and action that will make the difference in the fight against hunger."

These words seem very hollow now in the light of the latest cuts. It is not the Taoiseach or his minister for finance who must explain to impoverished communities overseas that the much needed aid they were promised is not in fact going to arrive. It will be NGOs like Plan Ireland who will have to inform the poor that, once again, we won't be delivering on our promises.

David Dalton and Andy Spearman,

Plan Ireland,

126 Lower Baggot Street,

Dublin 2.

www.plan.ie