Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021

Thursday, 9 September 2021

Questions (426)

Carol Nolan

Question:

426. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the total amount of funding provided to date through his Department to UNESCO for its programme on comprehensive sexuality education; the countries in Africa that have been and will be supported by such funding; his plans to continue funding this UNESCO programme into the future and if so, the amounts to be allocated; if his attention has been drawn to the actual content of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42106/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

My Department has supported the UNESCO programme, Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) since 2017, providing €1,850,000 in funding to-date. As part of the programme, which is the largest comprehensive sexuality education programme in Africa, funding from Ireland supports the empowerment, health and resilience of adolescents and young people in Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This support is in line with A Better World, the Government's policy for international development and is part of Irish Aid, the Government's development cooperation programme. My Department intends to continue to support the O3 programme in 2022.