Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
31. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs what measures his Department is undertaking to ensure that budgetary proposals this year relating to overseas development assistance and climate finance are not double-counted with regard to meeting international commitments relating to both; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40561/23]
View answerInternational climate action is a key priority for the Government. We are committed to supporting actions and measures that address climate change and we recognise that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is an important source of funding for this work. Climate-related ODA is directed to countries and communities that are the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, such as Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
The Government has made significant progress in supporting climate action in developing countries. This has been achieved through integrating climate action, particularly climate resilience and adaptation, into development programming. It has also involved the provision of increased climate-specific funding for activities in developing countries, as part of an overall increase in Ireland’s ODA budget.
Between 2016 and 2021, Ireland’s overall international climate finance has increased by 40%. The Government's International Climate Finance Roadmap (2022) sets out how we will meet the commitment of providing €225 million per year in climate finance to developing countries by 2025. This represents a more than doubling of our climate finance on 2020 levels. The Roadmap states clearly that Ireland’s climate finance targets should be achieved in a complementary fashion with the achievement of Ireland’s other international development cooperation priorities.
In order to ensure full transparency in reporting ODA, Ireland reports both its climate finance and ODA spend to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which assesses and verifies our reports. This reporting procedure is in line with international standards and procedures.
