Written Answers Nos. 1 - 45
26. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he has had contact with party leaders in the United Kingdom regarding the UK's exit from the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19458/16]
View answerThe referendum outcome presents serious challenges for the EU as a whole but it presents specific challenges here in Ireland as I and my Government colleagues repeatedly outlined in the period leading up to the 23 June referendum. It is important for us now in the days, weeks, months and, indeed, years ahead, that Ireland’s particular circumstances are understood and taken into account.
In the period since the referendum result was announced, the Taoiseach, I and government colleagues have engaged in extensive contacts with political figures in Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as with EU partners.
On Friday 24 June, I spoke with the UK Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, and with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers. I also spoke with political leaders in Northern Ireland and a number of my EU counterparts. I travelled to Belfast on 29 June and met with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with Secretary of State Villiers and with opposition leaders.
The Taoiseach participated at the European Council meeting on 28 June and subsequently at the informal meeting of 27 EU Heads of State and Government on 29 June. As the Deputy is aware, the focus of these meetings was the outcome of the UK referendum and the Taoiseach spoke again with Prime Minister Cameron during the European Council.
In terms of political leaders across the UK, the Deputy will be aware that Prime Minister Cameron’s successor as leader of his political party will be made known by 9 September. In the meantime, Prime Minister Cameron and his cabinet continue in office and we continue to work closely with them and with their officials.
In the period prior to the referendum, including when Irish ministers and some members of the opposition travelled to Britain and Northern Ireland to communicate the Irish perspective, there was extensive engagement with public representatives from both government and opposition. Also, this week, the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly, which brings together parliamentarians from across the UK and Ireland, met in County Dublin and focused much of their discussions on the outcome of the referendum.
I enjoyed a positive working relationship with the former British Labour Party Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Vernon Coaker MP, and I look forward to working with his successor, David Anderson MP, in the time ahead.
Having outlined my priorities during our special debate in this House last week, I would take this opportunity to reiterate two important points regarding the period ahead. We must all bear in mind that the United Kingdom is not leaving the European Union immediately and that all arrangements, rights and facilities linked to EU membership still apply in full. A negotiation process will get underway and will take a minimum of two years prior to a UK exit. During that time the United Kingdom remains a full EU Member, with all the existing rights and obligations.
Also, I would stress that the ongoing work to support stability, reconciliation and prosperity for the people in Northern Ireland is a key priority across this entire process. The Irish government’s strategy will be to work urgently and intensively with the British Government and Northern Ireland parties to see how collectively we can ensure that the gains of the last two decades are fully protected in whatever post-exit arrangements are negotiated.
31. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on the meeting he had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Theresa Villiers, in the wake of the result of the United Kingdom exit referendum. [19431/16]
View answerI am very conscious of the deep concerns and anxiety that have arisen for many people across the community in Northern Ireland about the referendum outcome. The fact that the majority within Northern Ireland who voted to remain now face their preference being set aside as a result of the overall result across the UK raises profound issues.
As mentioned earlier in my response to Deputy Ó Laoghaire’s question, last Wednesday, 29 June, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I convened a Quarterly Review Meeting of the Fresh Start and Stormont House Agreements where the referendum result was discussed. The First and deputy First Minister represented the Executive, as did the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice. In addition to the Review Meeting, I held a separate bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Villiers.
Naturally the outcome of the UK referendum on the EU was a key element of both of these meetings. In my meetings with Secretary of State Villiers, I emphasised the necessity and importance of both Governments and the Executive working together in the best interests of the people on this island.
I also reiterated the Government’s commitment to work in support of stability, reconciliation and prosperity in Northern Ireland. In this regard the Government will use its influence with our EU partners to seek to persuade them of the need for specific arrangements which protect the key gains of the peace process on this island – a process to which the EU has already made a key contribution. In addition I outlined that the Common Travel Area and cross-border EU funding, are key priorities for the Government in the period ahead.
In my discussions with Secretary of State Villiers, we agreed that the Good Friday Agreement remains the basis for the two Governments’ approach to Northern Ireland. The EU referendum result does not in any way diminish the centrality of the Good Friday Agreement or the requirement of both the British and Irish Governments to uphold it. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday and succeeding Agreements, the Irish Government is determined that its institutions, values and principles – including the right to the British or Irish or both - will be fully protected.
Furthermore, I noted that any future arrangements will not exclusively be determined by the wishes of the Irish Government, the British Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. They will also be influenced by the wider negotiations between the UK and the EU of 27 remaining Member States. One of the challenges, therefore, will be for Ireland to use its influence with our EU partners to persuade them of the need for specific arrangements which protect the key gains of the peace process on this island.
35. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to report on any recent contact he has had with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19476/16]
View answer60. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the purpose of his recent visit to Israel and if he made representations to Israeli Government officials regarding the ongoing issues surrounding the occupation of Palestinian territories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19134/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 60 together.
I visited Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory from 13 to 15 June.
In the course of my visit, I met the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. I also met the leader of the opposition in the Knesset, Mr. Isaac Herzog, and with the Chair of the Knesset’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Mr. Avi Dichter.
In Ramallah, I met the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mr. Rami Hamdallah, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Riad Malki.
I also met the Deputy Commissioner of the UN Relief and Works Agency, Ms Sandra Mitchell, and visited the local office of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance. Following my meeting with UNRWA, I announced a contribution of €4 million for UNRWA’s General Fund, to support the delivery of core services, and committed to maintaining the same level of funding for the next two years. I also announced a contribution of a further €500,000 for UNRWA’s response in Gaza, thus fulfilling the pledge I made, on behalf of Ireland, at the Gaza reconstruction conference in 2014.
My visit was planned before the scheduling of the French-hosted conference on the Middle East Peace Process, which took place in Paris on 3 June and in which I participated, but it afforded a timely opportunity to follow up on that meeting.
In all of my political meetings, I made clear my support for the French initiative, which aims to inject new momentum into the stalled peace process through international support and engagement. I said this based on my own assessment of the situation and based also on the experience of the peace process on this island in which international support, from the US and elsewhere, proved invaluable at different times.
The Palestinian side has publicly welcomed this renewed international engagement and I discussed in some detail with Minister Malki his priorities for follow-up to the Paris conference. The Israeli Government have said clearly that they do not see value in this approach and repeated their wish to move to direct negotiations with the Palestinians, without wider international involvement.
In my meetings I made clear the interest of the members of this House and of the Irish public in the Middle East Peace Process.
In my meetings, I also discussed a range of more specific issues, including the expansion of settlements and the threat they pose to the peace process, the serious humanitarian situation in Gaza and the progress that has been made in reconstruction there as well as the limited improvements that have been made in access for goods, and the prospects for Palestinian reconciliation in the talks that have been taking place between Fatah and Hamas.
My visit came shortly after the 8 June terrorist attack in Tel Aviv and the security situation in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories was discussed.
The Middle East Peace Process remains stalled.
In explicit recognition of the view that the status quo is not sustainable, the French Government have been working to mobilise international engagement to help advance the prospects for peace. This is not an easy task but it deserves and will receive our full support.
37. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to strengthen engagement with regard to the North-South Ministerial Council and North-South bodies in general given the United Kingdom referendum result, the subsequent possibility of the re-emergence of a hard border on this island and the threat to European Union PEACE funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19460/16]
View answerIn line with the Government's commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to continue to advance North-South co-operation, my Department promotes and co-ordinates such co-operation, particularly through supporting the work of the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC). In the aftermath of the UK Referendum vote to leave the European Union this is now of vital importance.
There was a plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council yesterday, 4 July, in Dublin Castle at which Government Ministers and the Northern Ireland Executive Ministers together discussed the implications of the Referendum outcome for Northern Ireland and for relations between North and South on this island. We also looked at what we can do together to minimise difficulties that may arise from the outcome. This followed my meetings with Northern Ireland political leaders in Belfast last week.
At yesterday's plenary meeting it was agreed that the Government and the Executive will work even more closely together to ensure that the gains of the peace process and North-South co-operation are fully protected in any new arrangements that may emerge as regards the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union. The Council also affirmed the important role that the NSMC plays in political and administrative relationships on this island and as a forum for ongoing North-South discussion on important matters of mutual interest.
The Council agreed that the NSMC sectoral meetings in the coming months, which involve our Ministers and their opposite numbers in the Executive, will examine the implications of the UK referendum outcome and the need for possible mitigating actions in their areas of responsibility. It was agreed that a further discussion on the implications of the referendum result will take place at the next NSMC plenary meeting which is scheduled for November of this year.
The North-South bodies, particularly Tourism Ireland and InterTradeIreland, are playing a continuing and central role in our economic recovery.
All of the North-South bodies are testament to the benefit of working together for mutual benefit, and in the light of the Referendum result it will be important that the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government continue to fully support the work of the Bodies.
In our contingency plan to deal with the possibility of the UK leaving the EU, one of the key actions is to monitor the short term impacts on enterprise and trade in border counties. As details of the UK's exit framework emerge, we have recognised in our contingency planning the need to possibly revise and enhance the work and capability of InterTradeIreland, the North-South trade and business body, to ensure that companies trading across the border (in both directions) would be in position to deal with any added administrative burdens and procedures.
While future arrangements in regard to the border will not exclusively be determined by the combined wishes of the Irish Government, the British Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, as far as I am aware, no major party in Northern Ireland wants to see the re-imposition of a hard border on the island. They, as do we, all wish to see a continuation of freedom of movement of trade, services and people on the island.
The current PEACE and INTERREG Programmes which have now opened for funding calls are worth almost half a billion euro up to 2020, to be administered through the Special EU Programmes Body. At yesterday's North-South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting the Council reiterated our joint commitment to the successful implementation of these programmes, and agreed that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Northern Ireland Finance Minister will further consider the issue of securing the ERDF funding for PEACE and INTERREG, including through engagement with the European Commission.
38. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the representations he has made to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Dublin regarding that state's restriction of religious freedoms, in particular the application of the death penalty for those found guilty of apostasy or conversion to Christianity; if he thinks it is appropriate for Ireland to have trade links with such states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19084/16]
View answerIreland opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, and strongly condemns its use in all instances, including for those accused of apostasy or conversion to another religion. Ireland promotes fundamental human rights, including freedom of religion, and strives to promote this principled position in all of its bilateral relations, including with Saudi Arabia.
The abolition of the death penalty is one of Ireland’s priorities at the United Nations, and one that we pursued while a member of the UN Human Rights Council. More recently, Ireland stated its concern at Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty on minors in its Item 4 Statement (Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention) at the Human Rights Council on 22 June.
My Department regularly conveys Ireland’s stance on the death penalty to all countries where the death penalty is still in use. This includes Saudi Arabia, where our principled opposition to this practice is conveyed at every suitable opportunity, both to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia here in Dublin, and through our Embassy in Riyadh.
This and other human rights issues, including freedom of religion, are also raised with the Saudi authorities in conjunction with our EU partners. In this way, the impact of our representations is maximised, having the backing of all Member States behind it. Freedom of religion was raised by the EU in the context of the 2013 UN Human Rights Universal Periodic Review of Saudi Arabia. In January of this year, High Representative Mogherini reiterated the EU's strong opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, in the context of executions that had taken place in Saudi Arabia.
Ireland does have close economic ties with Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is a designated priority market for Ireland under the Government's Trade, Tourism and Investment Strategy. We have a strong, and growing, trade relationship with Saudi Arabia, as we do with some of its neighbours. Saudi Arabia represents a significant market for Ireland: total bilateral trade in 2014 was worth over €1.4 billion, with €1.3 billion of this in Ireland’s favour. The economic relationship therefore has considerable benefits for the Irish economy.
The economic partnership that we have with Saudi Arabia, however, does not prevent us from raising human rights issues in the appropriate channels. We will continue to maintain relations with Saudi Arabia: economic, for the benefit of our economy and trade; and diplomatic, to facilitate our continued engagement with the Kingdom on human rights and also on other matters as they arise.
39. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he discussed the findings of the Northern Ireland Poverty Bulletin with the Secretary of State for Northern, which revealed the fact that over 100,000 children in Northern Ireland live in poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19470/16]
View answerThe Northern Ireland poverty bulletin for the period 2014 - 2015 was published by the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland on 28 June. The bulletin provides annual estimates of the percentage and number of people, children, working age adults and pensioners living in low income households in Northern Ireland.
I am aware that the bulletin included the worrying statistic that 25% of children in Northern Ireland in the period examined were found to be living in poverty. This issue is a devolved matter for which the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities Paul Givan, MLA, has lead responsibility. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to discuss the matter with the UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
40. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware that over the past few weeks Palestinians have faced severe water shortages because a company (details supplied) has denied or restricted their access to water; that Israel stands accused of using water as a weapon in the West Bank; and if he will raise the issue with his Israeli counterpart. [19466/16]
View answerWater supply is a critical issue across the Middle East, but there are specific additional stresses on Palestinian people resulting from the Israeli control of their land and resources. Ground water drawn from the shared aquifer is allocated disproportionately in favour of Israel itself and Israeli settlers in Palestinian areas, and Palestinian water infrastructure is routinely demolished to preserve this control. As a result, many Palestinian communities have to be supplied with water by tanker.
Mekorot, the Israeli public water utility, has reportedly reduced supplies to a number of Palestinian communities in recent weeks, resulting in the shortages described by the Deputy. Mekorot maintains the shortage is due to increased demand in the summer, and affects both Israeli and Palestinian consumers. Some Palestinian reports state the opposite, that their supplies are being cut to preserve supplies to Israelis. There are other claims as well, including that the shortage is intended to pressure Palestinians into agreeing to cooperate with water infrastructure plans which include illegal Israeli settlements. It is difficult to be certain here at this remove what is the truth of the situation.
Water is a final status issue, to be determined in a final overall agreement between the two parties. What is clear is that, in the long years while that agreement has remained elusive, Israel has imported several hundred thousand settlers into Palestinian areas, and discriminates in their favour in the distribution of water, to the detriment of Palestinians. This underlines the continuing injustice inherent in the occupation of one people by another, and why it is imperative that the occupation be brought to an end.
Ireland has raised these issues as part of our focus on the range of issues surrounding settlements, both bilaterally with Israel and through discussions at EU level.
Ireland and our EU partners have also been directly active in supporting works to improve water supplies for Palestinians, as I set out in more detail in my reply to a recent Question (Written Question 194 on 22 June).
42. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is aware of the signing of a peace process between the Colombian Government and FARC rebels in Havana, Cuba; that this is a very welcome step but that much more needs to be done to ensure that the Colombian Government respects human rights and international law; and if he will take action to ensure that political and community activists are protected in the country, considering that 534 have been killed in the past five years. [19468/16]
View answerOn 23 June, the day the announcement was made in Havana, Cuba, I issued a public statement warmly welcoming the historic signature of an agreement between the Government of Colombia and the FARC guerrillas on a bilateral and final ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. This is an important step in bringing to an end a 52-year conflict in which more than 220,000 people have been killed and 6.4 million people displaced.
I congratulated all of the parties to the talks for their courage in pursuing peace, in particular President Juan Manuel Santos. I would also like to pay tribute to former Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Eamon Gilmore, for his ongoing work in his role as EU Special Envoy to the Colombian Peace Process.
Our own history of conflict on this island gives Ireland a particular interest in conflict resolution, as is reflected in Ireland’s foreign policy priorities. Consequently the Government is actively considering how we might support the finalisation and implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia drawing on lessons learned from the Northern Ireland peace process. To this end I sent a team of senior officials from my Department to Colombia earlier this year to assess the potential parameters of Irish support and I intend to bring the matter to Government for consideration in due course.
I can assure the Deputy of the Government’s support for Colombia in the implementation of this important peace agreement, recognising that full and faithful implementation by all parties is critical to the success of any peace agreement.
Ireland is a longtime supporter of civil society groups and international agencies working to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights in Colombia. Officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy in Mexico, which is accredited to Colombia, regularly meet human rights groups both in Colombia and elsewhere. The group of senior Irish officials which visited Colombia met a number of United Nations and civil society representatives, including from groups involved in the promotion and defence of human rights. Subsequently, officials from the Department met Colombian Human Rights Defenders visiting Ireland with Peace Brigades International. These discussions focused on the legacy of the conflict and the implications of the ongoing peace process.
In addition, Ireland has provided more than €400,000 in funding for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia since 2014 and is also a long-time supporter of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Christian Aid and other organisations working in the area of human rights in Colombia.
Ireland also engages with Colombia on human rights through EU structures, including the EU-Colombia Human Rights Dialogue. Ireland is an active contributor in this process which addresses the subject directly with the Colombian authorities at official level. Through this mechanism, the Union engages in a structured manner across the full range of human rights issues, including human rights defenders, trades unionists, prisoners, land restitution and environmental issues.
The promotion and defence of human rights is and will continue to be a central element of our engagement with Colombia - including during the implementation of the peace agreement.
43. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts he is making to compel the British Government to allow access by an independent international judicial figure to all original documents in its possession relating to the Dublin Monaghan bombings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19464/16]
View answerDealing with the legacy of the past relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland and pursuing the issue of the Dublin Monaghan bombings is a major priority for me as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and for the Government. This commitment is reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government that was agreed in May.
The all-Party Dáil motion on the 1974 Dublin Monaghan bombings that was adopted in this House on 25 May has been conveyed to the British Government. This motion, like the two previously adopted in 2008 and 2011, calls on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the bombings.
The Government is committed to actively pursuing the implementation of these all-Party Dáil motions relating to the Dublin Monaghan bombing atrocities. To this end I wrote to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in late May, conveying a copy of the recent resolution. In addition, I raised the matter in my bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in Belfast last week. In this meeting I advised the Secretary of State that this latest motion represents the consensus political view in Ireland that an independent, international judicial review of all the relevant documents is required to establish the full facts of the Dublin Monaghan bombings.
I underlined that the absence of a response from the British Government was of deep concern to the Government and indeed this House and emphasised the urgent need to respond to the three Dáil motions. Secretary of State Villiers recognised the importance that the government and Dáil Éireann attach to this case and she indicated that the British Government is considering whether it would be possible to provide a response that would adequately address the motions.
The Government will continue to raise this matter with the British Government, urging them to provide a satisfactory response to the motions that have been adopted by this House. I have made clear to the Secretary of State that there is a pressing need to provide answers to the families of the victims. The Taoiseach has also raised this issue with Prime Minister Cameron emphasising the Government’s continued support for the Dáil motions.
Many families continue to deal not only with the awful pain of losing a loved one, but also with the struggle for answers decades after these traumatic events. Accordingly, the establishment of a new comprehensive framework for dealing with the past, as envisaged in the Stormont House Agreement, is a priority for the Government.
I continue to engage with the British Government, the Executive and the Northern Ireland political parties in discussions to find a route to a final agreement on legacy issues. The Government believes that the legacy institutions agreed under the Stormont House Agreement offer the best hope of helping the thousands of families impacted by the Troubles. I am therefore working to secure the necessary political agreement to get the legacy bodies established and up and running as soon as possible.
44. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he is concerned regarding the recent political developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC; that opposition political activists have been arrested and the government has now said that it will not be able to hold the elections on time; that the DRC is facing huge humanitarian problems; and the action he is taking to assist the millions of persons in the DRC that need humanitarian help and assistance. [19469/16]
View answerI share the serious concerns about the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which we are following closely with our EU partners. The Foreign Affairs Council which I attended on 23 May adopted Conclusions expressing deep concern at developments and calling on the Government and all other stakeholders, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission, to create urgently the conditions necessary to hold free, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections and to resume the electoral process as soon as possible.
The Conclusions also underlined our concern about the obstacles to political debate in the country and reiterated that, in the run-up to the elections, ensuring respect for human rights, particularly civil liberties, and safeguarding an open political space are crucial prerequisites for real and credible dialogue. The security situation in the east of the DRC remains precarious, causing population displacements and significant humanitarian needs, and the Conclusions strongly condemned the continued attacks by armed groups and the extreme violence being inflicted on the population of the DRC. The EU and Member States have provided substantial support to the DRC, investing some €10 billion over the last ten years in peacekeeping, and humanitarian and development assistance.
At present four Irish Defence Forces personnel are serving with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), which is making a critical contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights.
Ireland raised the situation in the DRC during a UN Security Council Open Debate on Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region in March 2016, stressing the importance of respect for the rule of law, human rights and Constitutional provisions in the coming period. The issue of electoral tensions was also raised by the Irish side at a meeting earlier this year between officials of my Department and representatives from the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo in London, stressing the importance of timely elections and peaceful cooperation between all parties.
Ireland has provided very significant levels of for the DRC. Between 2010 and 2015, we provided €44.61 million in funding to the DRC. Of this, €30.02 million was in humanitarian assistance, including €24.3 million allocated to the UN Common Humanitarian Fund for the DRC, and the remainder through NGO partners. €14.59 million was allocated to a range of civil society partners for their work on human rights, democracy, peace building and rule of law in DRC. To date in 2016, we have provided over €4.8million in humanitarian funding to the DRC.
In addition to this funding, Irish Aid has deployed two rapid responders to DRC this year. These experienced specialists helped provide much needed surge capacity to UNICEF’s response operations on the ground, focusing on child protection and cash programming.
45. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will publish a multi-annual plan with respect to overseas development aid funding outlining the way the Government proposes to move towards the 0.7% target for official development assistance over the course of next three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19462/16]
View answerThe Government is strongly committed to Ireland’s overseas aid programme, and to its place at the heart of our foreign policy. We have restated this clearly in the Programme for Government. “One World, One Future”, our policy for international development, articulates our commitment to the UN target of providing 0.7% of Gross National Product (GNP) as Official Development Assistance (ODA).
The Programme for Government sets out our ambition to making progress towards the UN Target as resources permit. It is important that such progress is made in a sustainable and manageable way which strengthens Ireland's recognised role as a reliable and effective partner in providing humanitarian assistance and contributing to the fight to end global poverty and hunger.
Since 2011, Ireland has provided in excess of €3.8 billion in ODA. This has involved very significant annual contributions in excess of €600 million, at a time of great economic difficulty. Over this time, the Taoiseach and Ministers have consistently stated that we would make progress towards the 0.7% target once economic conditions allow.
Now, as our economic recovery consolidates and strengthens, we are in position to begin to make good on that commitment. For 2016, we have provided a total of over €640 million in ODA, an increase of €40 million, or almost 7% on the 2015 budget allocation. This represents the first substantial increase in the aid budget in over seven years. Our aim is to continue to make sustainable progress towards the UN target in line with the commitment we have made with our fellow EU member states to collectively reach the UN 0.7% target by 2030.
The 2017 Estimates process will commence shortly. While final decisions on next year’s budget allocation are ultimately a matter for Government, I will be making the strongest possible case for a sustainable increase in the 2017 budget allocation for Ireland’s development assistance programme.
