Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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97. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on the closing of charity shops in Northern Ireland (details supplied); given they receive funding from Irish Aid and the charity shops continued to be profitable right up to closure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42868/25]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have maintained regular and close contact with the main Irish development NGOs as they respond to the situation as a result of cutbacks in ODA by some major donors. I have emphasised that the Government remains firmly committed to Ireland’s international development programme and to its overriding priority, to reach the furthest behind first. The Government provides multiannual, predictable, and flexible funding of over €100 million in Official Development Assistance annually to the main Irish development NGOs under Ireland's Civil Society Partnership This supports their development and humanitarian work in over forty countries across Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

In 2024 the Department provided a total of €6.1 million in funding to Self Help Africa, to support development and humanitarian programmes in several African countries and global citizenship education programmes with schools across the island of Ireland. It is intended to provide a similar level of funding for 2025.

In relation to the operation of charity shops by development NGOs, it is important to note that the core operations of charity shops do not qualify as eligible for Official Development Assistance, as defined internationally. I have noted the statements in the media y the CEO of Self Help Africa that, since the pandemic, the shops have struggled to return to profitability and that they now require a level of investment which the organisation is not in position to provide.