Written answers

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Irish Aid

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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384. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland donates UN specification-approved goods in kind to the central UN systems in lieu of part payment of Ireland's financial assessed contributions to the UN or as a component part of Ireland’s overseas development aid programme. [37610/16]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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385. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland donates Irish manufactured goods in kind that are consistent with UN prior-approved standards to UN humanitarian clusters; and if not, the reason for this. [37611/16]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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386. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on whether it would be meritorious to assist indigenous Irish industry and businesses by donating Irish manufactured goods and products of UN-approved standards as a component of Ireland's overseas development aid programme. [37612/16]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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387. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if Ireland donated Irish manufactured goods and products to the UN, that would be considered as tied aid within the internationally accepted meaning of this term. [37613/16]

Photo of Joe McHughJoe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 384 to 387, inclusive, together.

Ireland provided a total €138.2 million in financial contributions to the UN Agencies and Funds in 2015. Of this, €129.4 million was in voluntary contributions and €8.8 million in assessed contribution.

It is not the Government’s policy to donate goods in kind to the UN in lieu of part payment of Ireland’s assessed contributions. However, Ireland does pre-position and stockpile humanitarian relief supplies in UN Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD) under the Rapid Response Initiative, which is managed by Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. These hubs are strategically located near crisis and disaster-prone areas, in Accra, Brindisi, Dubai, Panama City and Subang, in Malaysia to enable the rapid dispatch of supplies in case of a crisis.

The relief items stockpiled by Ireland in these hubs have been selected in close consultation with UN and NGO partners, which, distribute them in response to a crisis to those most in need to save and protect lives and alleviate suffering. They include UN standard-approved items which are most urgently needed by people in humanitarian crises or emergency situations. These include shelter items, such as family tents, tarpaulins, and rope; basic household items such as blankets, mosquito nets, cooking sets, solar lamps and family hygiene kits; and water and sanitation items such as soap, jerry cans, water tanks, latrine plates and spades. So far in 2016, we have airlifted over 350 tonnes of Ireland’s stockpiled relief supplies into humanitarian crises in Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Iraq, and most recently in response to Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.

As well as storing the items in Depots, the UNHRD procures the relief items through a competitive tendering process which is regulated by the World Food Programme (WFP). The Government’s policy for international development, One World One Future, reaffirms our commitment to providing “aid that is not conditional on procurement of goods and services from Ireland”.Ireland’s aid to developing countries is untied and our continued long term commitment to untied aid remains firm. I would strongly encourage all Irish manufacturers of humanitarian relief supplies to apply to become registered suppliers to the WFP Registered Supplier Roster and to register through the United Nations Global Marketplace.

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