Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the Cabinet committee that covers overseas development aid. [32467/17]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The purpose of the Cabinet Committees is to provide political oversight of relevant initiatives and developments in policy areas, in particular where there is a need for coordinated action across Departments and agencies.

The Government’s policy on international development, One World One Future, was approved by Cabinet in 2013. It provides for a whole-of-government approach to international development and guides all our development efforts across Departments. In the event the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade deems it necessary for Cabinet to discuss a particular policy issue or initiative related to overseas development aid he would either raise it directly at Cabinet or bring it through an appropriate Cabinet Committee.

The Minister also regularly engages with the Oireachtas and the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade on budget and policy issues related to Official Development Assistance and the international development programme.