Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for highlighting this. We are monitoring very closely the impact on our work as a country and the impact on NGOs like the ones the Deputy mentioned as a result of the ODA cuts from other countries. We are continuing to assess the immediate and long-term effects with our partners. We are in regular contact with governments in developing countries, with the UN and other multilateral agencies, with our Irish development NGOs and with our international NGOs. We are going to continue this approach and we are trying to provide support to them that is predictable and flexible. We are trying to help those partners adapt as well as possible to what is a rapidly changing context. For example, we are front-loading the payment of our 2025 core funding for trusted UN agencies at their request. However, I must be honest that international aid architecture is facing a very uncertain time. We remain firm in our ODA commitments. It is clearly not feasible for us to fill the major funding gaps but we will continue to lead as we can and to be flexible in the engagement with our partners.

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