Some €498 million of this total was allocated to Vote 27 – International Cooperation which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. A further estimated €125 million will be provided through payments by other Government Departments, and by Ireland’s allocation of the EU Development Cooperation Budget 2013. ODA eligible contributions from other Government Departments consist primarily of:
Payments by the Department of Finance to the World Bank’s International Development Association and voluntary contributions to the Asian Development Bank;
Payments by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to the UN’s World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation and,
Tax rebates from the Revenue Commissioners to Irish development NGOs.
While the 2013 budget is a modest reduction on the 2012 level, €623 million remains a significant level of funding and represents a genuine investment by the people of Ireland in assisting some of the world’s poorest communities and is a clear indication of the Government’s commitment to the aid programme.
The Government is ambitious for the programme and we are committed to ensuring that it remains one of the best in the world in terms of its quality and improving the lives of some of the poorest people in the developing world.