Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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The Government’s development cooperation programme, Irish Aid, which is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, reflects the values and experience of the Irish people and focuses on the fight against poverty and hunger in some of the poorest countries in the world. Access to quality education is one of the priorities of the programme, as reaffirmed in our new Policy for International Development, One World, One Future published in May 2013. At a global level, Irish Aid provides support to education, both directly to the education sectors of selected Key Partner Countries and through the Global Partnership for Education and civil society partners. Ireland is also working internationally to ensure a continued focus on good quality education, at primary level and beyond, in the context of the negotiations at the UN on the follow-up framework to the Millennium Development Goals, post-2015.

At a national level, Irish Aid provides strong support for development education. We take a strategic approach, with targeted funding support in a number of areas. These include the development of a number of partnerships to support the implementation of the Irish Aid Development Education Strategy 2007-2015. We have developed partnerships focused on initial teacher education, post-primary schools and capacity building for the development education sector. In addition, support is provided through annual grants for the implementation of innovative, results focused initiatives that support the achievement of the Development Education Strategy.

Officials from my Department who manage Irish Aid’s development education work are also actively involved in the Global Education Network Europe, a network of EU member States. GENE works to assist national Governments in improving their approaches to development education and provides an important peer learning support function for all members. To underline the importance we attach to development education, two advisors with development education expertise have recently been appointed to the Irish Aid Expert Advisory Group, the independent group which provides external advice on the Irish Aid programme. I am confident that Irish Aid will continue to draw on best practice in its approach to global education, both in our partner countries, at multilateral level and at home.