Written answers
Wednesday, 29 May 2019
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Departmental Funding
Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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74. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason funding is only provided to UN youth volunteers for 12 months; his plans to extend the period of funding for volunteers in the future to a two-year period similar to other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23009/19]
Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade currently provides funding to UN Volunteers on an annual basis in line with our funding approach to other UN agencies. In 2017 and 2018 our funding was €500,000.
Our current policy is to assign volunteers through UNV for a twelve month period. This ensures that as many applicants to what is a competitive selection process have the opportunity to volunteer through the UNV programme. I am aware that a number of Irish UNVs have been successful in obtaining follow-on contracts to facilitate their continued work within the UN system as a result of their work during their UNV tenure and thereby allowing other Irish UNVs to be appointed.
I have asked my officials to consider the potential benefits and disadvantages of a two year cycle for volunteers as part of their planning process for budget 2020.
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