Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity to present the 2019 Estimate for Vote 27 - International Co-operation. Vote 27 funds about two thirds of Ireland’s official development assistance, ODA, programme, better known to the public as Irish Aid. The Vote provides the funding necessary to deliver on the Department’s high-level goal to work for a more just, secure and sustainable world.

For this year, I am proud to announce that we have allocated almost €817 million to official development assistance, the highest increase in funding in over a decade. This represents an increase of approximately €110 million, or 16% on the 2018 budget announced. Some €544 million will be managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through Vote 27 - International Co-operation, an increase of €44 million, or almost 9%, on last year’s allocation.

A further estimated €272 million will be managed through other Departments and Ireland's share of the EU development co-operation budget. By far, the largest component of this element of ODA is our share of the EU development co-operation budget, which has grown significantly over the past few years. Significant ODA contributions also flow through the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Finance and Justice and Equality. The 2019 allocation is a significant budgetary commitment by the Government to international development and is an important statement of who we are as a people and a clear reflection of Ireland's values and interests. We all have a stake in making a better world and expanding our development co-operation programme is an investment in a better, safer and, ultimately, more sustainable world. It provides Ireland with an opportunity to expand its influence and strengthen its partnerships today and for tomorrow.

Last year, when we published Global Ireland, the Government committed to delivering on the United Nations target of allocating 0.7% of gross national income, GNI, to official development assistance by 2030. Global Ireland also committed the Government to publishing a new White Paper on international development. Last month, we delivered on that commitment.Along with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, I launched the Government's new policy for international development - A Better World. This new policy document provides the framework for the expansion of our ODA and for reaching the 0.7% target by 2030. Sustained, managed increments in ODA will be required to deliver on this commitment. Careful planning and consultation with other Departments and stakeholders will also be needed to ensure it is done effectively. We are adopting a steady and phased approach, taking into consideration the range of demands across Government and recognising that to deliver on this ambition will mean making difficult choices between competing priorities. We are, however, making progress, increasing allocations to ODA by some 32% since 2014 and 16% in this year alone.

I thank this committee in particular for its work in 2017 in reviewing Ireland's aid programme. The recommendations from that work informed our thinking in developing our new international development policy. In particular, the committee's recommendations on putting the sustainable development goals, SDGs to the fore, on prioritising gender equality, education and agriculture were of particular benefit along with those related to strengthening our capacity to deliver an effective international development co-operation programme and to maintain Ireland's reputation for quality, untied aid and delivering results for those most in need. Our new policy, A Better World,sets out our vision for Ireland's contribution to international development looking forward to 2030. It is a clear statement of Ireland's commitment to global citizenship, to helping make our planet a better place to live for others and for ourselves. It focuses on reaching the furthest behind first, wherever they might be, in a least developed country, a small island state vulnerable to climate change, or a victim of conflict or a humanitarian crisis.

A Better Worldbuilds on Ireland's strengths as a donor and the strong international reputation we have maintained since the establishment of our official development programme. It is a bold statement of what Ireland will do to contribute to a more peaceful, equal and sustainable world, in response to the underlying message of the SDGs to leave no one behind. It commits Ireland to scaling up resources and capacity across four policy priorities, namely, gender equality, including a strengthened focus on education for girls; reducing humanitarian need; climate action and strengthening governance in developing countries. Our new policy also draws from Ireland's own history and our development journey, committing Ireland to intensifying our work in three clusters of interventions where we have proven expertise, namely, protection, food and people. This policy is a whole-of-government policy and commits us to both intensifying our contribution to development co-operation and to changing how we work. We are committed to working more effectively across all Departments with civil society, research and education institutions and the private sector. Importantly, we will increase our investment in public engagement and outreach, which was a significant part of arriving the policy we have arrived at.

Ireland does development well. We have a well-earned reputation for the quality of our aid programme and for being highly effective at reaching those in extreme poverty, which, again, has been recognised internationally. What we do works and has real impact. Ireland, and we as Irish people, can be proud of our international development co-operation policy and programme. We are reducing inequality, poverty and hunger. We bring our authentic experience to this work, delivering a world-class programme, helping to save lives, to build livelihoods and to bring life-saving humanitarian assistance to those most in need and in times of crisis.

I welcome comments and questions from members.