Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for the question. Let us be honest: overseas development aid and assistance are coming under attack in many parts of the world. I am very proud that we live in a country where, on a cross-party basis, even during the deepest financial crisis, there has been consistent support for Ireland to continue to support those less fortunate in some of the most deprived and developing parts of the world. The Government remains committed to the targets agreed at the UN to provide 0.7% of gross national income in official development assistance. That commitment was reaffirmed in 2019 in A Better World, Ireland's international development policy. It is also been reaffirmed in our programme for Government.

In recent years, the Government has consistently increased the allocation for the Irish Aid programme managed under Vote 27 of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This year, it stands at €810.3 million, the highest ever in the 51-year history of the developing programme. Total overseas development assistance and aid for 2024 are currently being finalised, but preliminary figures released by the OECD place Ireland's own overseas develop tied at over €2.2 billion, representing 0.57% of GNP. This includes eligible first-year supports for refugees in Ireland from Ukraine, as the Deputy mentioned.

Excluding these costs, the 2024 overseas development aid percentage was 0.41%, an increase from 0.38% in 2023. It is important to note that the refugee costs eligible for reporting as overseas development aid are finalised retrospectively and that no such funding has been sourced from the allocation for the Irish Aid programme.

Thus it does not come from that programme. This will remain the case in 2025. Total ODA, including contributions to international development from other Departments and Ireland's share of the EU development co-operation budget was in the region of €430 million in 2024.

Obviously individual decisions on how we get there are a matter for the budget, but I am heartened by the fact the programme for Government between the two parties and Independents is clear on that 0.7% commitment.

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