Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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482. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the expected outturn in relation to official development assistance expenditure by the end of 2014; the total allocation available to his Department for ODA in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40243/14]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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For 2014, the Government’s total allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) is just under €600 million. Of this total, €479 million is allocated to Vote 27 – International Cooperation - managed by the Development Cooperation Division of my Department. A further estimated €120 million is allocated to ‘other ODA’. This comprises Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget together with ODA-eligible contributions made by other Government Departments. Final outturn figures for 2014 will be available and published early next spring. Since coming to office, and in the context of very difficult budgetary circumstances, this Government has largely managed to stabilise annual allocations to ODA. On Budget day last week we announced a total allocation to ODA of just over €600 million for next year, ensuring that we have protected the aid budget. Of this total, €476 million was allocated to Vote 27 – International Cooperation which will be managed by my Department.

Our 2015 allocation to ODA demonstrates our ongoing and firm commitment to the aid programme. Our priority now is to ensure we continue to focus this significant level of public funding on delivering real and sustainable improvements to the lives of some of the world’s poorest men women and children.