Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Action Aid Ireland is a highly valued partner for the Government's international development programme. It is one of the ten key NGO partners which receive funding from the innovative new five-year funding scheme, Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership for a Better World, which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Under this scheme, the Department has provided €950,000 to Action Aid Ireland this year to deliver women’s rights programmes in very poor and marginalised communities in Ethiopia, Nepal and Kenya. Action Aid Ireland's programmes in these countries focus on empowering women and girls and addressing gender based violence. They also address the increasingly negative impact on poor communities of escalating climate change. In addition, Action Aid Ireland's global citizenship education programme in Ireland is helping to strengthen awareness of gender equality issues globally.

On 22 February, the Tánaiste and I met with the CEO of Action Aid Ireland, along with the CEOs of other key Irish international NGOs. I was keen to meet with these stakeholders as a group as early as possible in my new role as Minister of State. I had also earlier held separate meetings with each of the CEOs, including with the CEO of Action Aid Ireland on 16 February. We discussed a wide range of issues, including global inequality, the humanitarian system, the importance of gender equality and how we can effectively reach those who are most vulnerable and who are left furthest behind. We also discussed the significant challenges of increasing humanitarian crises and shrinking civil society space.

The OECD has commended Ireland for the quality of our partnerships with development NGOs, calling it a “hallmark of Ireland's development cooperation”.The Irish international NGO sector has a strong international reputation. They are well placed to ensure aid reaches those to whom it is intended and are very well informed of the realities on the ground.

I look forward to continued engagement with the sector, including Action Aid Ireland.