Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Budget 2024 included an increase of €60 million in the allocation to the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs for 2024. At €776.5 million, this will be the highest level ever, representing an 8.4% increase on the 2023 allocation. Based on current estimates, total ODA from across Government for 2024 will amount to some €2 billion. The increase of €60 million will allow Ireland to reach more people, particularly those affected by climate change, the war in Ukraine, and humanitarian crises around the world. It is an important signal internationally at a time of unparalleled humanitarian crisis and challenges to progress in international development.

The Government remains committed to the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) in ODA. We have just published the 2022 Irish Aid Annual Report, which contains detailed statistics on Ireland's development and humanitarian assistance worldwide. It shows that, in 2022, Ireland's total ODA reached an all-time high level of 0.63% of GNI, including eligible first-year costs for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. Excluding funding for Ukrainian refugees, the level is 0.39% of GNI. It is important to note that since 2022 none of the costs associated with the reception of Ukrainian refugees in Ireland has been sourced from the original ODA Budget allocation.

Ireland's international development programme has a strong global reputation for its effectiveness and its focus on extreme poverty and hunger. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, in its mid-term review of Ireland's development programme, published in the last few weeks, stated that Ireland has continued its leadership as an advocate for sustainable development, a staunch multilateralist, a good partner for civil society and promoter of development education.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2024, the Government has provided for a €60 million increase in the allocation for the Official Development Assistance budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs, bringing it to its highest ever level. The increased funding will be focused on addressing humanitarian crisis, the consequences of the war in Ukraine, growing food insecurity globally and the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable communities in developing countries.

In accordance with the reporting rules of Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, specific costs of hosting refugees in their first year are eligible to be counted as ODA. In reporting these figures, Ireland has been very transparent in identifying the costs relating to the hosting of Ukrainian refugees, and the contribution which these make to our overall ODA levels.

It is important to note that none of the ODA-eligible costs associated with the hosting of Ukrainian refugees in 2022, and again this year, have been sourced from the Government's ODA allocations to the Department of Foreign Affairs, and there has therefore been no diversion of overseas aid for this purpose. This will remain the case for 2024.