Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
125. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent to which overseas aid is determined on the basis of aid for trade in this country, or in other European jurisdictions involved in the provision of aid to poorer countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35559/23]
View answerThe Government's policy for international development, A Better World, provides the framework for our ‘all of government’ development cooperation programme. Rooted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it focuses our efforts on the four policy priorities of gender equality, reducing humanitarian need, climate action and strengthening governance. The aim is to reach the furthest behind first, through working with governments and communities in some of the world’s poorest or most climate-exposed countries. There is a particular emphasis on protecting women and girls.
The allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA) for 2023 is over €1.2 billion. This is the highest ever allocation and an 18% increase on last year.
Our Official Development Assistance (ODA) is provided through multilateral organisations such as the UN, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank, funding to Irish civil society organisations, and bilateral ODA through our Embassies abroad. The most important criterion in deciding which channel to use, is the ability of a partner to reach those that are furthest behind, in the most timely and effective way possible. Our funding is complemented by Ireland's political and diplomatic engagement.
All of Ireland's aid is untied, and we are recognised as global leaders in this regard. Untying aid involves removing the legal and regulatory barriers to open competition for ODA funded procurement and increases aid effectiveness by reducing transaction costs and improving recipient countries’ ownership of development finance.
Each year the Department of Foreign Affairs reports to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) on overall expenditure on ODA against a set of internationally agreed statistical standards. This analysis informs the annual Irish Aid report which includes details of all of our ODA spending.
Ireland's development programme has a strong global reputation and underpinning Irish Aid’s work is a commitment to quality. The 2020 OECD Peer Review of Ireland's development cooperation found Ireland to be a strong voice for sustainable development which invests in strong partnerships with civil society and was effective in addressing fragility. Also in 2020, the international think-tank ODI found Ireland to be the most principled donor country in allocating overseas development.
Ireland’s development co-operation programme is at the heart of our foreign policy and recognises that international trade can play a major role in the promotion of economic development and the alleviation of poverty. The World Trade Organisation-led Aid for Trade initiative encourages developing country governments and donors to recognise the role that trade can play in development. In particular, the initiative seeks to mobilise resources to address the trade-related constraints identified by developing and least-developed countries.
We continue to monitor the engagement by the EU and others on aid for trade. The joint OECD-WTO ‘Aid for Trade at a Glance’ publication, last published in 2022, provides a comprehensive analysis of trends and developments. The EU adopted an updated EU Aid for Trade Strategy in December 2017, and Ireland participates in the ongoing implementation of this strategy. The 2022 EU Aid for Trade Progress Report was published earlier this year.
I am pleased that since 2000, Ireland has provided practical support for a number of international organisations involved in Aid for Trade initiatives. This includes technical assistance programmes of the WTO; the International Trade Centre (ITC); the Advisory Centre for WTO Law; and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Port Management Programme. Our funding to these organisations amounted to €1.85m in 2022.
