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Irish Aid

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016

Tuesday, 25 October 2016

Questions (35)

Darragh O'Brien

Question:

35. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the way and the purposes for which Irish Aid money is being used regarding the EU-Turkey migration deal and other similar deals in respect of refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31706/16]

View answer

Written answers

The agreement reached between the EU and Turkey in March in response to the migration crisis and the loss of lives in the Aegean Sea included the establishment of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey. Its aim is to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees in Turkey and to bring about long term sustainable improvements in their health, education and self-reliance.

The Facility was established with €1 billion in funding from the EU budget and €2 billion from the budgets of Member States. Member State contributions are mandatory and calculated on the basis of Gross National Income. Ireland will be contributing a total of almost €23 million to the Facility from our development aid budget between 2016 and 2019. Ireland is a member of the Facility's steering committee and we are working to ensure that the Facility is used in a way which is fully compatible with its agreed strategic framework and which respects the human rights of all concerned.

The Facility is making a difference in the lives of refugees on the ground in Turkey. For instance, two contracts worth a total of €600 million were signed at the end of September which will provide almost half a million Syrian children with access to education and allow two million people access to primary healthcare services.

Similarly, the €3 million which we will provide between 2016 and 2020 for the EU's Emergency Trust Fund on the Root Causes of Irregular Migration in Africa, is aimed at meeting immediate needs and at enabling longer-term development. Ireland is an active member of the Operational Committee for the Horn of Africa window of this Trust Fund and we use this membership to ensure that the focus on addressing root causes remains central to the work of the Fund.

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