Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This figure is not our total contribution to the UN. This is a contribution to UN organisations that is subject to calculations made at a UN level under commitments made as part of a three-year cyclical process. We make a series of other contributions to UN agencies separately, including the World Food Programme, UNHCR and environmental NGOs. I imagine the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, will discuss these when it comes to his Vote. We are increasingly investing through UN organisations in what is entirely untied aid. That is as it should be. We are looking to sit on the decision-making body, the UN Security Council, in some years' time. Ireland's foreign policy is very much shaped by EU membership and UN membership. Most of the expenditure in programme C relates to Ireland's mandatory contributions to international organisations of which we are members, including the UN. The 2019 Estimate reflects the best estimate at the time of mandatory contributions due this year. It should be noted, however, that the challenge of forecasting the UN peacekeeping budget in particular, which is the largest part of our payments to the UN, is not an easy one. It is difficult to estimate this in advance as the existing peacekeeping contribution might be expanded or reduced depending on the circumstances or a new one might be established. Also UN contributions are invoiced in US dollars and, therefore, are subject to currency fluctuations. The complexity of the UN budget process and the negotiations of contribution rates for all UN participants make this budget difficult to quantify at any stage of the year. This estimate may go slightly up or down depending on several factors, including whether new peace-keeping missions are required or whether exchange rates change. Anyway, this is our best guess at this point.