Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

797. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount which will be spent on official development assistance in 2018; the recipients of this ODA; and the amount each recipient will receive. [45773/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The two main recipients of official development assistance from my Department are the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

From 2016 to 2018, my Department committed to an annual contribution of €20million to the WFP, the last payment of which was fulfilled with an advance payment of €10 million at the end of 2017.

The contribution to the FAO is by way of an assessed membership contribution, which was €1.369 million for 2018.

My Department is currently processing grant payments under the Africa Agri-Food Development Programme (AADP). The objective of the AADP is to develop partnerships between the Irish agrifood sector and African countries to support the sustainable growth of the local food industry, build markets for local produce and support mutual trade between Ireland and Africa. As this Programme is a joint initiative between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade the latter will also provide a similar amount in funding for the approved grants.