Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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185. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will preserve and enhance the Overseas Development Aid budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29880/20]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is firmly committed to growing Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme. In 'Our Shared Future', the Programme for Government, the Government committed to making incremental, sustainable progress towards achieving the UN target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to ODA by 2030. In making this commitment, the Government recognised that reaching 0.7% would require a significant expansion in ODA volumes over the next decade and that, at times, difficult choices would be required between competing priorities.

Progress is being made. From 2014 to 2020 Ireland's allocations to ODA grew from €614 million to almost €838 million, an increase of almost €21 million on the 2019 budget allocation and the sixth consecutive year allocations to ODA were increased.