Written answers

Thursday, 17 December 2020

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

United Nations Population Fund

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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360. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the estimated funding that will be allocated to the United Nations Population Fund in 2021; if funding to same will increase between 2021 and 2030, inclusive, in line with the overall overseas development assistance budget increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44205/20]

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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361. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if funding was provided to the UNFPA Supplies, the United Nations Population Fund's thematic programme dedicated to expanding access to family planning in 2020; if he plans to allocate funding to this programme in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44206/20]

Photo of Colm BrophyColm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 361 together.

Ireland is the 14th largest core contributor to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the 24th largest contributor overall, in line with the priority which the Government's policy on international development, A Better World, attaches to gender. The question of additional core contributions to UNFPA is reviewed periodically, in the light of increases in allocations to the official development assistance budget, but also against the backdrop of continued effective performance by UNFPA and the wider basket of international development priorities to which Ireland seeks to respond. A €3.5 million core contribution to UNFPA is envisaged in 2021, in line with contributions in 2020 and 2019 and compared to €2.8 million in 2018.

In addition to the annual core contribution, Ireland also provides funding to UNFPA through our bilateral programmes managed by our Embassies, which varies from year to year. In 2020, this additional funding to UNFPA amounted to €1.8 million.

Ireland also contributes to UNFPA through the EU. Collectively the EU and its Member States are the single largest financial contributor to the UN system, providing 25% of contributions to UN agencies. The European Commission is the seventh largest non-core contributor to UNFPA (providing US$43 million in 2019). Ireland does not provide direct funding to UNFPA Supplies Partnership and no decision has been regarding direct funding of this Partnership for 2021.

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