Ms Jane-Ann McKenna:

I thank the Chairman, Deputies and Senators for the invitation to meet with the committee today and to brief them on the work of Dóchas and the key priorities and challenges facing the sector at the moment. Dóchas is a network of 55 international development and humanitarian organisations that are committed to human rights, justice and the eradication of poverty. They demonstrate this with their work in international development, healthcare protection, humanitarian assistance, education and inclusion.

Right now global needs and extreme poverty are escalating and increasingly concentrated in countries where we see a convergence of conflict and climate change. At the very moment these needs are rising international donor funding is sharply declining forcing difficult choices about who receives assistance. Today more than 300 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection and a record 120 million people are displaced. One in every five children in the world, which is approximately 400 million children, is living in or fleeing conflict zones with women and girls bearing the brunt of violence, displacement, and health emergencies.

With global temperatures expected to remain at or near record levels over the next five years the impact of climate change on livelihoods and food systems, and its contribution to vulnerabilities globally, is increasingly apparent.

As the world faces growing hunger, violence and death by preventable illness, aid programmes are being dismantled. In 2024, the world faced a $25 billion gap between the funds required for UN appeals and funds received. That gap is now set to more than double and its impact on affected populations will be devastating. This comes at a time when progress towards the sustainable development goals, SDGs, is critically off track, with only 17% of SDG targets on course to be met.

Ireland has maintained a principled stance, thereby developing a remarkable international standing underpinned by its values of peace, humanitarianism, equality and justice. It has delivered quality funding and humanitarian assistance where it is needed most and has a strong legacy as a valued partner. The role of development co-operation and humanitarian assistance as an expression of Ireland's values on the global stage has never been more important. Research shows the vast majority of Irish people – three in four – support the Government's spending on overseas development aid, ODA; a figure that has been consistent every year for the past five years.

However, our values must be matched by our commitments and our ability to deliver upon them. Therefore, we ask that Ireland uphold its commitment to the furthest behind around the world and continue to increase ODA spent overseas in budget 2026 to realise our target of spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA by 2030. We encourage the Government to work more closely with civil society organisations that deliver effective community-led solutions locally. We ask for a commitment to provide at least 30% of Ireland's ODA through civil society. We are also asking for an increased commitment to climate finance. Ireland will likely hit its annual target of €225 million this year but we can go further by increasing our financing to a minimum fair share of €500 million annually.

In an increasingly volatile world, Ireland has the opportunity to be a strong, principled voice that elevates human rights, brings solidarity and justice back on the agenda and works with like-minded countries to seek transformative solutions to address the multiplicity of challenges now facing the international community. Ireland's participation in the UN International Conference on Financing for Development at the end of this month, our participation at the G20 and our Presidency of the European Council next year present opportunities to reframe the sustainability agenda by moving away from international development and humanitarian aid as a charitable cause and, rather, advocating for its retention as a strategic investment in present and future generations, global stability and prosperity, and, ultimately, peace and security for all.

I am joined today by Ms Karol Balfe, CEO of ActionAid Ireland, and Mr. Jim Clarken, CEO of Oxfam Ireland, who will elaborate further on the upcoming International Conference on Financing for Development, the broader impact of the aid cuts and the importance of Ireland's leadership in this area.