Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 162, 163 and 165 together.

The Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas development assistance programme, and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. Ireland’s development assistance programme is focused on delivering our goals of reducing poverty and hunger, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth and building more equitable and better systems of governance.

Ireland’s aid 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, and UN and other multilateral agencies and organisations. Throughout, the ability of these funding channels to reach the poorest and most fragile countries and regions in the world, and deliver real results on the ground, is at the forefront of Ireland’s engagement. In this way, Ireland is playing a strong role in supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Irish Aid Annual Report 2017, published on 2 October last, indicates that last year Irish bilateral assistance reached 87 of the world’s underdeveloped countries. Irish assistance is given in support of countries’ development needs, typically in response to their poverty reduction strategies, and through the provision of humanitarian assistance in response to emergencies and protracted crises. Sub-Saharan Africa remains our priority focus, where we direct assistance to the poorest communities, 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. This focus is reflected in the adjudication in September by the Overseas Development Institute in the UK that Irish Aid is the world’s most efficient donor at targeting extreme poverty.

We have a particularly strategic input into poverty reduction in countries in Africa where we have a resident embassy – particularly Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania Uganda, Zambia - allowing Ireland to play a key role in their long-term development. A similar strategic role is played by the Embassy to Vietnam. Smaller more focused programmes are delivered in countries and territories such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Liberia, Kenya and Palestine.

Our bilateral assistance is complemented by our engagement 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. A total of 143 countries received Irish support channelled through the multilateral system. A full list of all of the countries and multilateral agencies receiving ODA from Ireland is reflected in Irish Aid’s annual report, which is available at: .

A key principle underpinning Irish development cooperation is that it should remain untied - that is, not conditional on acquiring goods and services from Ireland. This is regularly positively remarked upon by the OECD Development Assistance Committee in their regular assessments of Ireland’s international development cooperation and humanitarian programmes. Untying aid – removing the legal and regulatory barriers to open competition for aid-funded procurement – increases the effectiveness of aid by reducing transaction costs and improving the ability of partner countries to set their own course. Ireland is leading the way in this by making its bilateral Official Development Assistance 100% untied.

For example, Ireland has been to the forefront in encouraging the EU and its Member States to untie more of their aid. Progress is being made. The proportion of EU and Member States’ aid that is untied now stands at over 80%. The European Commission has increased its share of untied aid from 48% in 2010 to 72% in 2016. We will continue to encourage further progress in that regard and maintain our international record of keeping our ODA 100% untied.