Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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8. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will outline his Department’s planned response to the US presidential executive order of 31 January 2025, the effect of which is to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6578/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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9. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will make a formal request to the US ambassador that the US side of all joint consortium arrangements with Irish Aid which were in place at 31 January 2025 be honoured in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6579/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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10. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide figures on all the joint donor consortia or other collaborative arrangements which existed between Irish Aid and the United States Agency for International Development as at 31 January 2025, across the operational spectrum of Ireland’s international development engagement, broken down by country, by financial allocation and by development sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6580/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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11. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his Department has identified whether there are instances of such multi-donor instruments in which Ireland would be obliged to make up the shortfall for the precipitate cancellation of the United States Agency for International Development contribution; if he will provide an estimate of the budgetary implications thereof, including possible displacement effects arising if funding has to be diverted for this purpose from pre-existing Irish Aid allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6581/25]

Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
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12. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions planned to be taken at EU level to coordinate Member States’ response to the vacuum created by the effective withdrawal of the United States Agency for International Development from the international development arena; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6582/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 12, inclusive, together.

The Government remains firmly committed to Ireland’s international development assistance programme and to its overriding priority, to reach the furthest behind first.

Ireland has worked with the US Administration and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on several global and country programmes that support sustainable development and humanitarian response, and we hope to continue this engagement.

Since the announcement by Executive Order of the 90 day pause for all US foreign assistance programmes, the Department of Foreign Affairs has been following closely the continuing reports and announcements in relation to USAID. While the situation is still evolving, we are very aware of the potential impact of the pause on development programmes and humanitarian relief efforts.

We understand that waivers are being considered on a case by case basis with regard to “life-saving activities” and we await the conclusion of the announced US spending review, which is currently underway.

We will continue to work closely with our counterparts across the European Union, with international partners, multilateral organisations such as the United Nations, and with Irish NGOs and civil society organisations in our collective effort to overcome global poverty and inequality and to advance sustainable development.

Since 2023, and up to January 2025, Ireland has been collaborating with USAID on a joint programme in Malawi, focused on food systems transformation and crop diversification. Under the joint programme, Ireland has committed to provide a total of €33.5 million over five years. With the implementing partners of this programme, we will work to ensure that planned and Irish-funded activities on climate-resilient agriculture and crop development can continue without disruption.

In 2024 the then Tánaiste, and the head of USAID, announced plans for a joint programme of work in Zambia, focused on sustainable food systems and nutrition. The joint programme is still under design, but in the meantime, our Embassy in Zambia has strengthened its work on youth and women’s empowerment, food security and nutrition in conjunction with the Zambian Government, USAID and other partners.

Ireland is not obliged to make up any shortfall resulting from the current pause in USAID funding. However, we will continue to consult with our partners as the situation evolves, and to provide support that is both predictable and flexible. This will help partners to adapt as well as possible to rapidly changing contexts. In all countries where Ireland provides international development assistance, we will remain in close contact with the governments and partners on development and humanitarian challenges and on our collective response.