Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s Aid Programme, and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. Our priorities for the Programme are clearly laid out in the Government’s development policy, ‘One World One Future’. The programme has an enviable international reputation and is sharply focused on delivering our goals of reducing poverty and hunger, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and building more equitable and better systems of governance, particularly in our key partner countries. We have consistently repeated our commitment to providing incremental but sustainable increases to Official Development Assistance (ODA) as economic conditions allow.

As our economic recovery consolidates, we have begun to make good on that commitment and have provided an increase to ODA of €40 million in 2016 and a further €10 million in 2017.

The 2018 Estimates process is now under way. Next year’s budget for ODA, as with allocations to all public expenditure, is ultimately a matter for Government, and must be set in the context of current Government priorities, available resources, and competing budgetary demands. However, I want to assure the Deputy that I, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will be making the strongest possible case for a continued increase in the allocation to ODA into 2018.

Irish Aid is committed to ensuring high quality monitoring and evaluation systems across all projects and continues to encourage collection of disaggregated data across various vulnerability categories, including age. Detailed budget allocations are made annually across the aid programme in response to existing needs, humanitarian crises and overall programme priorities. Clear criteria are in place to inform the budget allocation process. Sub-Saharan Africa remains our priority region, where we direct assistance to the poorest communities, particularly in our key partner countries. Our aid programme focuses on delivering real and sustainable improvements to the lives of some of the world poorest and most vulnerable people, in the areas of basic health, education, agriculture, and food production.