Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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169. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the expenditure on the trust fund for Africa and the full year cost of increasing expenditure by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50953/17]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africais an element of a comprehensive package of EU initiatives to support stability across the North, East (Horn of Africa) and West (Sahel/Lake Chad) African Regions, contributing to tackling the root causes of instability, forced displacement and irregular migration. This Trust Fund was launched at the EU-Africa Summit on migration in Valletta, Malta, on 11-12 November 2015 and will operate until 2020. Almost €3.2 billion has been pledged for the Trust Fund by the EU and EU Member States.

At the time of its launch, Ireland made a commitment to provide a bilateral contribution of €3 million over the period covered by the Trust Fund, 2016 to 2020 (€600,000 per annum). This initial commitment is earmarked for the Horn of Africa region. To date, Ireland has disbursed €1.2 million, our contributions for 2016 and 2017.

At the meeting of the European Council of 19-20 October 2017, and in response to a call by President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, for further pledges to meet pressing needs, the Taoiseach pledged additional bilateral Irish funding of €3 million by 2020, doubling Ireland’s total commitment to the Trust Fund.

It is envisaged that €400,000 of the additional funding will be provided before the end of 2017 and a further €400,000 in 2018 (bringing our total annual contributions to the Trust Fund in each of these years to €1 million), with the remaining balance of €2.2 million to be disbursed over 2019 and 2020.

Ireland also contributes to the European Development Fund (EDF) which in turn supports the Trust Fund (€2.29 billion pledged by EDF).

Incremental increases of the type set out in the Deputy’s question are not planned.