Written answers

Tuesday, 16 January 2018

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Overseas Development Aid Expenditure

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a review is currently under way on Ireland's overseas development aid and the 0.7% gross national product target; the meetings held and those consulted to date relating to this review; the expected date that the review is set to be completed and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1506/18]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas development cooperation programme and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. Our policy for International Development, “One World, One Future”, clearly articulates our commitment to the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) in Official Development Assistance (ODA), as economic conditions allow. The current Programme for Government reinforces this commitment.

The international development context has evolved significantly over the past five years. As announced by the Tánaiste we will produce a new White Paper on international development policy in 2018. The White Paper will build on our existing aid programme and allow us to take stock of the implications of a fast-changing global environment and prioritise our role in fulfilling the ambitious international development policy agenda.

Progress towards achieving the 0.7% UN target needs to be made in a sustainable and manageable way. This will build on Ireland's recognised role as a reliable and effective partner in contributing to ending global poverty and hunger, and in providing humanitarian assistance. Reaching this target will involve significant increases to the ODA budget and requires careful planning and consultation with other Government Departments and stakeholders.

The new White Paper on Ireland’s development assistance programme will inform an ambitious pathway towards making greater but sustainable progress on the UN target. Internal preparations and analysis are already underway. Internal and external stakeholders will be involved in a consultation process following DPER guidelines. The White Paper will also build on the independent work of the review of the Irish Aid programme currently being undertaken by the Oireachtas Joint Committee for Foreign Affairs and Trade (JCFAT).

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