Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
778. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress that has been made to date on increasing the budget for overseas development aid to 0.7% of GNI, in line with the Programme for Government; if his Department is on-track to meet this target by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44196/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to achieving the UN Official Development Assistance target of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2030, as set out in A Better World, Ireland's International Development Policy, and in the Programme for Government.
Ireland's Official Development Assistance (ODA) for 2021 represented 0.31% of GNI. Continued and steady annual increases in ODA will be needed to reach the 2030 target. For 2022, the Government allocated €1.044 billion to ODA, a 20% increase on the 2021 allocation. This is the highest ever amount allocated to ODA by any Government. In the context of competing budgetary pressures, achieving this amount was an important statement by the Government of Ireland's solidarity with the developing world.
Ireland's development programme has a strong global reputation. This reputation was confirmed by the OECD in its 2020 Peer Review of Ireland’s Development Assistance. The need to continue to increase the allocation to ODA in GNI percentage terms must also take account of the need to manage responsibly the large increases required, so that the quality of Ireland's programme is maintained.
The increase for 2022 is €176 million or 20.3% of overall ODA and my Department has responded through improved monitoring systems, strengthened inter-Departmental coordination on international development issues, and through continuing engagement with international partners.
