Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2017
175. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to fund the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, supplies in budget 2018 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40137/17]
View answer177. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to increase core funding to the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, in budget 2018 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40150/17]
View answerI propose to take questions 175 and 177 together.
The UNFPA is one of Ireland’s UN partners, and the agency’s work is closely aligned with many of the areas identified in Ireland’s Policy for International Development ‘One World, One Future’.
Hundreds of thousands of women and girls die each year in developing countries from complications in pregnancy and childbirth. Improved maternal and reproductive health, including access to contraception, is an important focus of our aid programme and is critical to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
There is an important link between Ireland's support for improved maternal and reproductive health in developing countries and improved education outcomes for girls, also an important priority of Ireland's aid programme. Ireland values the partnership with the UNFPA. We provide significant core funding to the agency, totalling €2.8 million both this year and last, and this enables UNFPA to respond to needs as they arise - including in the area of supplies. In addition to core funding, we provide funding in our partner countries for specific programmes to improve maternal and reproductive health. This amounted to over €1.5 million in 2016.
My officials attended the UNFPA Executive Board meeting in New York earlier this month, and we will be considering our indicative budget for 2018 shortly, taking into account UNFPA’s newly approved global strategic plan (2018-2021).
