The Government’s new development policy, “One World, One Future”, sets out the vision, goals and priorities for our overseas aid programme over the coming four years. The policy includes a clear commitment to accountability and transparency, to the Irish people and to our development partners in what we do, how we work, and what we are achieving. It states clearly that we will also work with our partners - Governments, NGOs, multilateral organisations and others - to ensure that they adhere to similar standards of accountability and transparency. In this way, Irish people will be better able to see where and how their money is being spent and what results are being achieved. Ireland is a strong supporter of multilateral development efforts, recognising that global challenges need global solutions. My colleague, the Minister for Finance, is responsible for Ireland’s participation in the IMF. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which manages the Government’s aid programme, works closely with the World Bank, in cooperation with the Department of Finance. The World Bank Group supports developing countries in their fight against poverty by providing the financial and technical assistance needed to promote trade and investment. As outlined in the reply to the Question referred to, Irish Aid provided some €27.8 million in funding to World Bank-managed trust funds in 2012 for work in developing countries. The funding was provided to programmes focused on the fight against hunger, the provision of basic needs, private sector development, and fragile and conflict- affected states. Full details of all the programmes supported by Ireland, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Finance, are available in the annual report by the Minister for Finance to the Oireachtas on Ireland’s participation in the IMF and the World Bank. Ireland, the IMF and the World Bank, cooperate in the international work to ensure the effectiveness of development aid, as set out clearly in the agreement reached two years ago on the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation in 2011. This emphasises the importance of empowering countries to drive their own development, on the basis of the principle of partnership and of mutual accountability.
In our engagement with the Executive Board of the World Bank Group, Ireland participates in the work to ensure increased effectiveness and better results for people living in poverty. Ireland is also an active participant in the work of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Network, a grouping of 17 donor countries, which carries out joint assessments of the effectiveness of multilateral organisations which deliver international development programmes. These assessments are published online. Both the IMF and the World Bank are engaged in ongoing processes of governance reform, which Ireland strongly supports. We will continue to work to ensure that the IMF and World Bank meet the required standards of accountability and transparency.
