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

That is not an unreasonable ask. What we are doing is not tokenistic. An additional €174 million, which is a 20% increase in ODA in one year, is a pretty significant allocation. The nature of that allocation has changed somewhat. Other Departments are taking up a higher percentage, for example, than they would have in the past. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, anticipates spending close to €120 million more on asylum and refugee costs in Ireland. That is part of our overall ODA contribution because the costs for asylum seekers and refugees in their first 12 months in the country is considered ODA funding. As such, we are working across Departments. We have also agreed in the programme for Government to double climate finance by 2025 up to approximately €225 million. That is also an increasing percentage of the overall ODA.

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