Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2012
50 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community monitors the aid programme with the on-going responsibility to ensure that international aid reaches its original targets in terms of the extent and the need to ensure that funds go directly to the persons for whom they were intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17528/12]
View answerAs Minister with responsibility for Ireland's Official Development Assistance, I am very conscious of the need to ensure that development aid reaches its intended beneficiaries and that it makes a real difference in the lives of the poorest people. The overarching objective of the aid programme is to contribute to the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger in the world. To ensure that our assistance is effectively delivered to those most in need in developing countries, we work in partnership with Governments, local communities, NGOs, and key multilateral partners such as the United Nations and European Union. Our aid programme is strongly concentrated on some of the poorest countries and communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Of Ireland's total Official Development Assistance, about 70% is delivered bilaterally through partnerships with Governments, Non-Governmental Organisations, and global funds and programmes. The remaining 30% is delivered through multilateral systems. The multilateral system, in particular the UN, has a number of key strengths, not least its global mandate and global representation. It is uniquely positioned to provide rapid response to emergencies, such as conflict and natural disasters, and operates in some 150 countries. Channelling assistance through a multilateral organisation such as the UN can also help to avoid duplication of effort by donors and to avoid overwhelming already stretched national systems.
Where we have a bilateral programme such as in our nine Programme Countries, we have a strong long term, strategic relationship with the host country and are in a position to engage directly with the Government and local communities. This allows us to have a much greater impact in a more focused area, such as agriculture, health or education.
All proposals for funding, whether through multilateral or bilateral channels, are rigorously appraised by Irish Aid staff using clear criteria, including quality of intended impact, sustainability, cost effectiveness and efficiency in the use of resources. An independent external Programme Appraisal and Evaluation Group is tasked to evaluate all major funding proposals for the bilateral aid programme. Programmes in receipt of funding are subject to regular internal and external monitoring to ensure that the intended objectives and goals are being accomplished. Irish Aid programmes are evaluated and audited by independent experts as well as by the Evaluation and Audit Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Unit's work is regularly reviewed by the independent Audit Committee of the Department.
The quality of our aid programme has been recognised in many independent international reports. The OECD has found that "improvements in the quality and accountability of public financial management together with rigorous oversight ensure that Irish funds are correctly used". A recent international report on development assistance, the 2010 Survey of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which was published last September, ranked Ireland highest among EU Member States for the delivery of our commitments on aid quality.
I believe that this focus on appraisal, regular monitoring, independent evaluations and audit provides assurance that all Irish Aid funds are very closely monitored and used for the purposes intended.
