Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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154. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the €13 million allocated to overseas development assistance as outlined in budget 2018; the amount of the €13 million allocation that has been spent; the way in which the funds have been spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24323/18]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. Our priorities are clearly laid out in the Government’s development policy, ‘One World One Future’. In line with our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, our aid programme 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.

For budget 2018, the Government announced a total allocation of €707 million to Official Development Assistance (ODA). Just over €500 million is being managed by my Department through Vote 27 International Cooperation, publically known as Irish Aid. This represents an increase of over €13 million on the 2017 Vote allocation. A further €207 million is being managed through other Government Departments and through Ireland’s share of the EU Development Cooperation budget.

As an integral component of the overall financial management and control of the aid programme, Irish Aid operates a comprehensive budgeting system. Clear criteria are in place to inform the budget allocation process. Following a period of extensive discussion and analysis a detailed budget allocation for the 2018 programme was approved by an inter-Departmental committee, enabling Ireland to respond to existing needs, ongoing humanitarian crises and overall priorities as defined in the ‘One World, One Future’ document.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains our priority region, where we direct assistance to the poorest communities, particularly but not exclusively in Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Ireland also engages in Vietnam and neighbouring countries. In addition to development assistance, Ireland leads in humanitarian response, including to the ongoing Syria crisis and also to the situation in the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as to emergencies as they arise.

Our programme is delivered through a wide range of partners and channels, including partner government systems, Irish and international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and missionary organisations, the EU, and the UN and other multilateral agencies and organisations. We continue to engage with UN and multilateral agencies whose core mission and objectives are closely aligned to Ireland’s aid priorities, allowing us to work with and support vulnerable communities across most developing countries.

As at the end of May 2018, my Department has disbursed almost €150 million of the 2018 allocated funding to a wide variety of partners and programme areas in line with robust and prudent grant management procedures. I am confident of a full disbursement by the year end as we deliver on our commitment in the fight against poverty and hunger, continue to bring real and sustainable improvements some of the world’s poorest communities and increase our response to the unprecedented level of humanitarian needs worldwide.