Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 21 November 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence

Budget 2024, Official Development Assistance, COP28 and Ongoing Humanitarian Situations: Dóchas

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I thank our guests for being here, particularly Mr. MacSorley for joining us from Sudan. I will start with a couple of technical questions.

In respect of the ODA budget as outlined, it would be useful if the witnesses could address what appears to be an anomaly in the figures Dóchas and member organisations have presented versus what the Government is saying. The Government has indicated that total ODA provision across all Departments will exceed €2 billion. My understanding from Ms Bennett's opening remarks is that this includes in-State spending, particularly on the Ukrainian refugee programme. Will the witnesses explain how it works that domestic housing provision is included in an ODA budget, the length of time for which that will be the case, what the implications are for Ireland's target of 0.7% in ODA aid and whether they consider it appropriate to include in-State spending as part of the overall ODA budget?