Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 September 2018
42. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures his Department is taking to ensure that Irish contributions to EU aid programmes are in line with Ireland’s commitment to untied aid (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38103/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is strongly committed to delivering Ireland’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme in the most effective way, providing humanitarian assistance and contributing to the fight against global poverty and hunger, including by working with multilateral partners and through the European Union.
Funding for multilateral organisations is kept under regular review by my Department, to ensure that it is targeted and provided to partners which can contribute most effectively to delivering the priorities of our foreign policy and our international development policy, as set out in the Global Island and in One World, One Future. In this way, we are playing a strong role in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2017, Ireland’s total contribution to EU-managed Official Development Assistance, mostly assessed, amounted to €192.51 million. This equates to almost 26% of Ireland’s ODA for the year. This was comprised of €143.22 million to the EU general budget, €35.66 million to the European Development Fund (EDF), €10.52 million to the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, €1.36 million to the European Investment Bank for its work in developing countries, and the balance of €1.75 million as a voluntary contribution to EU Trust Funds.
Throughout, the ability of these funding channels to reach the poorest and most fragile countries and regions in the world, and deliver real results on the ground, is at the forefront of Ireland’s engagement. Untying aid – removing the legal and regulatory barriers to open competition for aid-funded procurement – increases aid effectiveness by reducing transaction costs and improving the ability of partner countries to set their own course. Ireland is leading the way in this by making its bilateral Official Development Assistance 100% untied.
Ireland has also been to the forefront in encouraging the EU and its Member States to untie more of their aid. Progress is being made. The proportion of EU and Member State aid that is untied now stands at over 80%. The European Commission has increased its share of untied aid from 48% in 2010 to 72% in 2016. We will continue to encourage further progress in that regard.
