Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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744. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if it is policy to postpone the achievement of the UN target for 0.7% of GNP for ODA until 2030; if he will set out the increase proposed for each year of this decade; if the target can be achieved earlier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14005/21]

Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to achieving the UN Official Development Assistance target of 0.7% of GNI by 2030, as set out in A Better World, Ireland's International Development policy, and re-iterated in the Programme for Government. It is important that we do so in a responsible way. Ireland's development programme has a strong global reputation and our ambition to meet this important target must not see ODA quantity come at the cost of its quality.

Our ODA allocation has increased in real terms for the last seven consecutive years, and has held constant as a proportion of GNI since 2015. My Department is currently reviewing and building systems that will enable our development programme to grow further, including as a proportion of GNI, in a sustainable way. 

We have charted out an indicative pathway to 0.7% previously and I am happy to share it here again. The particular figures will change, of course, as we better understand the consequences of the pandemic on our economy.