Tuesday, 25 Jul 2023

Official Engagements

Questions (35)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

35. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to invite the Governor of California to Ireland before end of 2023. [35941/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland’s Strategy for the US and Canada 2019-2025 commits us to building strong, strategic political partnerships with the United States and Canada, and to assume a lead role in building stronger transatlantic relations.

Efforts to achieve this strategic objective include encouraging and securing high level US political visits to Ireland. President Biden's visit to Ireland earlier this year was historic, and has further bolstered our relations with the United States. Several other US political leaders have also visited Ireland in recent months. I was delighted to welcome Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts to Ireland last month, and I expect several other high level visits from the United States to take place later this year.

In May 2023, our Consul General in San Francisco met Governor Newsom in Sacramento and encouraged him to visit Ireland in the near future. I know that Governor Newsom is a proud Irish-American, and that he visited Cork during his time as Mayor of San Francisco. I would welcome a visit by Governor Newsom at any time if an opportunity arises for him to travel to Ireland.

Official Engagements

Questions (36)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

36. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he plans to visit Australia within the next six months. [35942/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Ireland and Australia have enjoyed warm and close relations for over 75 years and our Embassies are engaged in a range of activities to deepen our engagement, given that we share values and a common outlook on many global issues. Ireland works closely with Australia in multilateral fora, at the UN and beyond.

Members of the Cabinet have held a number of meetings with the government of Australia at both federal and state level, reflecting this close friendship. This March, as part of the St Patrick’s Day programme, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment undertook a five city visit to Australia, where he visited Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, with political engagement, trade and investment promotion, community events and media encounters. During his visit, Minister Coveney met with Prime Minister Albanese as well as Minister for Trade Farrell. In February of this year, senior officials in my department held bilateral consultations in Canberra, to discuss Ireland-Australia relations and other issues of shared interest.

This month, Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Thomas Byrne represented the Government at the opening game of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney, where Ireland played the co-host nation Australia. As part of his visit, Minister Byrne undertook a number of commitments, including political engagements, trade and investment promotion, community and sporting events, and media encounters, reflecting the depth of Ireland's relations with Australia.

I look forward to an opportunity to visit Australia when the opportunity presents, which would offer a further opportunity to further deepen the warm and close relations between Ireland and Australia.

Departmental Reports

Questions (37)

Verona Murphy

Question:

37. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of external consultant reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date, by report, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35973/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Department of Foreign Affairs commissions external expertise where highly specialised skills are not available internally and in particular where ongoing independent evaluation of programmes and projects is required. During the course of their engagement these consultants and experts may prepare reports and other documentation for the Department.

In-depth analysis of issues by external experts has informed, and continues to inform, the Department’s policies, allowing for a more targeted use of resources and greater accountability in the allocation of budgets.

These services are procured by open competitive tendering processes in accordance with EU and national rules and comply with the overall value for money objectives.

The following reports were commissioned by my Department from 2020 to 2022 and to date in 2023:

Year	Name of Company	Title of Report	Publication Date	Cost
2020	Rowan Engineering	Development of Resource Efficiency Action Plans for the Department’s headquarters buildings	May 2020	€13,222
2020	University of Otago, New Zealand	“Irish in Aotearoa: Mapping the Irish Community and People of Irish Heritage in New Zealand”	December 2020	€7,206
2020	Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants	Business Case Tokyo (1/3)	Not published - for internal use only	€10,861
2020	Karl Royce	Mapping Ireland-Chile economic links and areas of post-pandemic potential focus	Not published - for internal use only	€4,340
2020	Dave Oldroyd	Strategic Review of ESP funded organisation Haringey ICC	Not published - for internal use only	€1,974
2020	IOD Parc	Formative Evaluation of the Programme Grant II (2017-2021) & Humanitarian Programme Plan (2019-2021)	23 August 2021	€136,925
2020	Patrick McAllister	External Quality Assurance – Climate Change Multi-Annual Funding Framework 2020-2025	N/A for internal purposes only	€2,250
2020	Lynne Elliot	External Quality Assurance – Global Health and HIV and AIDS MAFF 2021-24	N/A for internal purposes only	€2,070
2020	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Process review of Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) systems.	Report not published - for internal use	€16,335
2020	Southern Cross Consulting	IDEAS Programme Review (Vietnam)	Report not published - for internal use	€11,150
2020	John O’ Regan	Programme Grant monitoring Nepal	Report not published - for internal use	€1,814
2020	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Programme Grant Partner Follow-Up	Report not published - for internal use	€4,552
2020	Fergal Ryan	Programme Grant monitoring Honduras	Report not published - for internal use	€11,964
2020	Fergal Ryan	Programme Grant monitoring Sierra Leone	Report not published - for internal use	€11,347
2020	Fergal Ryan	Programme Grant monitoring Tanzania	Report not published - for internal use	€3,000
2020	IOD Parc	Formative Evaluation of the Programme Grant II (2017-2021) & Humanitarian Programme Plan (2019-2021)	23 August 2021	€136,925
2020	Morina O’Neill	Monitoring of public engagement and development education under Irish Aid Programme Grant	Report not published - for internal use	€15,000
2020	John Moody Risk Management	Strategic Partner Systems Review	Report not published - for internal use.	€24,539
2021	Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants	Business Case Tokyo (2/3)	Report not published - for internal use	€25,761
2021	Dr Rachel Widdis	Review of Access to Remedy in Ireland	July 2021	€17,000
2021	Colombia Risk Analysis	Mapping Economic Links and post-pandemic opportunities between Ireland and Colombia	Report not published - for internal use	€4,918
2021	Tina Poyzer	Report Identifying the Needs of the Irish Community in the London Borough of Haringey	Not published- for internal use only	€5,870
2021	Bankhawk	Provision of Banking Services, including Electronic Banking	Report not published - for internal use	€8,364
2021	Charles Derek Poate	External Quality Assurance – Draft Malawi Mission Strategy, 2021-2026	N/A for internal purposes only	€1,696
2021	Lynne Elliot	External Quality Assurance – Draft Malawi Mission Strategy, 2021-2026	N/A for internal purposes only	€1,380
2021	Mary Ann Brocklesby	Review of Draft Mission Strategy 2020-2025	N/A for internal purposes only	€1,950
2021	Mary Ann Brocklesby	EQA GENDER SUPPORT TO MISSION ADDIS 34 DAYS JUNE TO DECEMBER 2020	N/A for internal purposes only	€22,100
2021	Charles Derek Poate	External Quality Assurance – Draft Mission Strategy 2020-2024, Embassy of Ireland, Ethiopia	N/A for internal purposes only	€1,696
2021	Pham Thai Hung	Mission Strategy (2017-2020) Results Review Report	Report not published - for internal use	€3,375
2021	William Langslet	Independent review of Ireland’s support to Mine Action in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam 2017-2020	Report not published - for internal use	€7,500
2021	Pham Thai Hung	Review of the Ethnic Minority Partnership for Resilience and Development (EMPRO)	Reports published for internal use	€1,315
2021	Pham Thai Hung	Programme Approach to Reach the Furthest Behind in Vietnam	Reports published for internal use	€4,760
2021	Arab World for Research and Development	Gender Equality Review of the Palestine Programme	Reports published for internal use	€11,800
2021	Morina O’Neill	Monitoring of public engagement and development education under Irish Aid Programme Grant	Report not published - for internal use	€37,500
2021	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Programme Grant Monitoring in Malawi, Nepal, Tanzania & Ethiopia	Report not published - for internal use	€44,128
2021	Claire Dijoux	Programme Grant Monitoring in Guinea and Malawi	Report not published - for internal use	€23,991
2021	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Review of the Civil Society Fund	Report not published - for internal use	€28,413
2021	KOSI	Volunteering partner systems review	Report not published - for internal use.	€15,625
2021	Public Good	Review of volunteering initiative	Report not published - for internal use.	€15,950
2022	Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants	Business Case Tokyo (3/3)	Report not published - for internal use	€27,675
2022	Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants	Consultancy – Preliminary Business case London and Washington (1/2)	Report not published - for internal use	€54,520
2022	Conan McKenna	Review of Domestic Implementation of Restrictive Measures (Sanctions)	Report not published - for internal use	€2,914.*Note this was a shared cost between DFA, D/ETE and DFIN
2022	Clare Duignan	Strategic Review of ESP funded Crosscare Migrant Project	Report not published - for internal use	€9,600
2022	Irish Centre for Diversity	Department of Foreign Affairs – Investors in Diversity (Silver) Report	21 January 2022	€4,495
2022	Vanessa Sheridan	Global Citizenship Education Strategic Partner Evaluation	Report not published - for internal use	€10,500
2022	Martin Rose	Global Citizenship Education Strategic Partner Evaluation	Report not published - for internal use	€16,538
2022	Deirdre Farrell	Global Citizenship Education Strategic Partner Evaluation	Report not published - for internal use	€7,500
2022	Barbara Wilson	Global Citizenship Education Strategic Partner Evaluation	Report not published - for internal use	€6,750
2022	Boyle and associates	Global Citizenship Education Strategic Partner Evaluation	Report not published - for internal use	€7,875
2022	Institute for Social and Environmental Transitions (ISET) International	Demining review	No publication date, for internal use only	€21,758
2022	Charles Derek Poate	External Quality Assurance – Draft Pretoria Mission Strategy, 2022-2026	Report not published - for internal use	€1,746
2022	MAB Associates Ltd	External Quality Assurance – Draft Tanzania Mission Strategy 2022 -2026	Report not published - for internal use	€1,650
2022	Lynne Elliot	External Quality Assurance Review of the Internal appraisal of ICSP	Report not published - for internal use	€3,750
2022	Bernard McLoughlin	External Quality Assurance Review of the internal appraisal of ICSP	Report not published - for internal use	€4,920
2022	Arab World for Research and Development	Gender Equality Review of the Palestine Programme	Report not published - for internal use	€4,300
2022	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Review of the Civil Society Fund	Report not published - for internal use	€1,722
2022	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Development Partner Systems Review	Report not published - for internal use	€23,228
2022	IOD Parc	Management Review of the International Development Assistance Programme	18 July 2023	€29,634
2022/2023	Derek Poate	Mission Strategy Review Pretoria Mission Strategy Review Hanoi	Report published for internal use	€3,492
2022/2023	DemocraShe	Midterm Review of Ireland’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security	Report not published - for internal use	€10,000 ex VAT
2023	Fitzpatrick Associates Economic Consultants	Consultancy – Strategic Assessment Report - London and Washington (2/2)	Report not published - for internal use	€47,560
2023	Institute for Development Strategy	Strategic capture of progress and learning in Irish Foreign Policy outcomes: International benchmarking study'	Not yet published	€22,815
2023	Mary Ann Brocklesby	External Quality Assurance of Uganda Mission Strategy 2023-2027	Report not published - for internal use	€1,625
2023	Charles Derek Poate	External Quality Assurance Opinion Submission on draft Strategy for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos for 2023-2027	Report not published - for internal use	€1,746
2023	Lynne Elliot	External Quality Assurance – Draft Embassy of Ireland, Mission Strategy Zambia 2022-2027	Report not published - for internal use	€1,500
2023	Gumfoot Consultancy Ltd	Kenya Monitoring Visit Report	29 May 2023	€17,551

Departmental Reports

Questions (38)

Verona Murphy

Question:

38. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of external consultant reports commissioned by the bodies under his Department's aegis in each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; the cost of same; the company involved; the title and publication date, by report, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35974/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

There are no bodies under the Aegis of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Question No. 39 answered with Question No. 14.

Foreign Conflicts

Questions (40)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

40. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the crisis in the Artsakh Republic-Ngorno Karabach region; if any efforts are under way at national or European level to protect the population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36001/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I am concerned by reports of repeated clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as along the border and am following developments closely. The humanitarian impact of this conflict on the civilian population remains Ireland’s focus, and I commend the important work of the International Committee of the Red Cross to mitigate the adverse effects of the crisis. As the only major humanitarian organisation present in the South Caucasus, it plays a key role in the provision of essential assistance to the Armenian population in Karabakh.

On 21 December 2022, the European Court of Human Rights indicated interim measures to the Government of Azerbaijan requiring them to take all measures within their jurisdiction to ensure safe passage through the Lachin corridor of seriously ill persons in need of medical treatment in Armenia, and others who were stranded on the road without shelter or means of subsistence. More recently, on 6 July 2023, the International Court of Justice reaffirmed the preliminary measure indicated in its Order of 22 February 2023 requiring Azerbaijan to take all measures at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions. The EU took note of this binding Order, and Ireland supports the EU’s call on the Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee the freedom and safety of movement and to address any concerns through dialogue.

Ireland also supports the mediation efforts of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, between the two leaders, with the sixth round of negotiations hosted last week. I understand President Michel intends to host further negotiations in Brussels after the summer.

Ireland has consistently advocated for continued engagement between the parties to achieve a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the conflict, including on the long-term status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Passport Services

Questions (41, 44, 54)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

41. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be processed urgently by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36055/23]

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John Brady

Question:

44. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application (details supplied) will be expedited as the applicant's travel date is imminent and all requested supporting documentation has been provided to the Passport Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36138/23]

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Brendan Howlin

Question:

54. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure the urgent processing of a passport card for a person (details supplied) by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36439/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 44 and 54 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.

Consular Services

Questions (42)

Matt Carthy

Question:

42. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if embassies of European Union member states are required to provide consular services, including emergency travel documents, to Irish citizens in third countries where Ireland does not have an embassy; the course of action advisable to Irish citizens in such an instance where such an embassy has refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36065/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

The EU Consular Protection Directive (Council Directive (EU) 2015/637) establishes the cooperation and coordination measures to facilitate consular protection for unrepresented citizens of the European Union in third countries.

EU citizens are entitled to seek assistance from an Embassy or Consulate of any other EU Member State if they are in a third country and the Member State of their own nationality does not have a diplomatic or consular mission in that country. Assistance includes the issuance, where possible, of EU Emergency Travel Documents.

The Directive recognises that Member States in third countries may enter into practical arrangements locally to share responsibilities for providing consular protection to unrepresented EU citizens. This may mean that in certain locations, some EU Member States are better placed to provide assistance than others.

Where any difficulties arise, the citizen is advised to make contact with the nearest Embassy of Ireland or Consulate , or the Department of Foreign Affairs, who will be able to engage on the matter. The Directive encourages close cooperation between Member States, including between Member States which are not represented and with Member States in the location providing assistance.

Consular Services

Questions (43)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

43. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to previous Parliamentary Questions, the engagement to date with the Togolese authorities in relation to the treatment of a person (details supplied) who has been detained in Togo for four and a half years in horrific conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36125/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

I can reassure the Deputy that my Department is continuing to provide consular assistance on this case through our Consular Assistance Unit in Dublin, and the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja - given its secondary accreditation to Togo.

There has also been engagement with the Togolese authorities in relation to the humanitarian aspects of this case. I have personally written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of Togo on the matter.

Additionally, my Department is in close contact with the Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) which is also providing support to the citizen. As Ireland does not have diplomatic or consular representation on the ground in Togo, we are also liaising with the Embassy of France there on the case.

As the Deputy will appreciate, and as with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the specific details of the case.

Question No. 44 answered with Question No. 41.

Passport Services

Questions (45)

John Brady

Question:

45. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application (details supplied) will be expedited as the applicant's travel date is imminent and the application has passed the target issue date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36274/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued a passport to the applicant. I encourage the Deputy to advise his constituents of the advantages of using the substantially more efficient online service, which is now used by more than 90% of applicants worldwide.

Official Engagements

Questions (46)

Alan Kelly

Question:

46. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has spoken formally with the Brazilian Ambassador to Ireland to date in 2023. [36332/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Brazil is a key partner for Ireland in the Latin America region as our second largest trading partner in the region and with close diaspora, education and cultural ties. The Global Ireland Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean includes a number of specific commitments related to Brazil. This has led to a strengthening of our political, economic and cultural ties since its launch in 2022, as well as enhanced values-based cooperation, including in the important area of climate protection.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet the Ambassador of Brazil to Ireland at an event to mark the National Day of Commemoration in Dublin Castle on 10 July 2023.

Officials in my Department, particularly in the Latin America and Caribbean Unit, work closely with the Ambassador and his team at Embassy of Brazil in Dublin, and are in regular contact. This partnership was particularly important in preparing the visit of Minister Sean Fleming to Brazil during the St Patrick's Day period this year.

The Embassy of Ireland in Brasilia and Ireland's Consulate General in Sao Paulo also work closely with the Embassy of Brazil in Dublin, as well as with the relevant authorities in Brazil, to enhance our wide-ranging bilateral ties and to support the vibrant diaspora communities that link Brazil and Ireland so closely together.

Birth Certificates

Questions (47)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

47. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs when a birth certificate will be processed for a person (details supplied) that was first applied for in October 2019; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36370/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications are currently being processed within the normal turnaround time of between 6 and 9 months from receipt of supporting documents. Applications which require further supporting documents will take longer to process. Foreign Birth Registration, by its nature, is a detailed and complex process, often involving official documentation relating to three generations and issued by several jurisdictions. Such documents take considerable time to validate.

With regard to the specific FBR application about which the Deputy has enquired, the application was registered online on 7 October 2019 and supporting documentation was received on 28 March 2023. A member of the FBR team has been in contact with the applicant requesting additional documentation. The application will be prioritised on receipt of the requested documents.

Irish Prisoners Abroad

Questions (48)

Paul Murphy

Question:

48. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update in relation to the steps that are being taken on behalf of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36400/23]

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Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

As the Deputy will appreciate, and as with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the specific details of the case.

Overseas Development Aid

Questions (49)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

49. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 44 of 12 July 2023, if he will provide a detailed breakdown as originally requested of the various programmes under which ODA is spent; the amount assigned to each for 2022 (€1.045 billion and €1.446 billion) and for 2023; to provide a breakdown of the details and the components of the total submitted to the OECD for 2022 of the €1.233 billion in 2023, of which €716 million was allocated to Irish Aid; to provide a breakdown of the remainder that totals up to €517 million, in tabular form; the sources of each and under which programme, that allows the State to arrive at a total ODA commitment of €1.233 billion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36434/23]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs

The priorities for Ireland' programme of Official Development Assistance (ODA) are set out in the Government's international development policy, A Better World. We work directly and through partners in more than 130 countries, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Ireland aims to provide assistance to support the most vulnerable communities, through partnerships with governments, civil society groups, international organisations, the private sector, and Irish and other international non-governmental organisations.

For 2022, the Government provided a total allocation of €1.045 billion for ODA: €605 million allocated to Vote 27 of the Department of Foreign Affairs and a further €440 million, accounted for by the contributions of other Government Departments and Ireland's share of the EU Development Cooperation budget.

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. Reporting for 2022 will be completed shortly. It will show the exceptional impact of ODA-eligible costs of first-year services for Ukrainian refugees in Ireland, and the impact of increased assessed contributions to the EU development cooperation budget. As a result, total ODA in 2022 reached €2.29 million, representing 0.64% of GNP. Excluding costs related to Ukrainian refugees, total ODA stood at €1.41 billion, or 0.39% of GNP.

In 2022, development and humanitarian programmes continued to face unprecedented challenges. As COVID-19 restrictions were slowly lifted, new crises emerged, including as a result of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine and the continued drought in the Horn of Africa. Ireland’s humanitarian spending, from the ODA budget, reached over €280 million, an increase of 20% on 2021. Ireland continued to provide humanitarian assistance for crises in countries including Ethiopia, Somalia and Syria. In line with our commitment to forgotten crises, Ireland also stood by countries receiving less international attention, such as the Central African Republic, Sudan and Niger. Ireland’s humanitarian funding was channeled to a range of trusted partners, including UN agencies, NGOs, and the Red Cross Family, which have a strong track record in humanitarian action. These partners share Ireland’s commitment to reaching the furthest behind first, and target the most vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls and people living with disabilities.

For 2023, the Government has provided a gross allocation to ODA of over €1.233 billion. This is the ninth consecutive year in which the allocation for ODA has been increased. The increase this year included €100 million for Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs: €75 million to address the direct and indirect consequences of the war in Ukraine, and €25 million towards meeting our international climate finance commitments.

Of the total allocation of €1.233 billion, €517 million is accounted for by contributions by other Government Departments and Ireland's share of the EU Development cooperation budget. Spending through other Government departments includes Ireland’s consistent and increasing engagement on matters related to food and nutrition security, including significant funding by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine; Ireland’s commitment to climate finance, with funding channeled through the Department of Environment, Climate & Communications and a number of other Departments; and funding arising from Ireland’s membership of the African Development Bank and other International Financial Institutions, managed by the Department of Finance.

The outturn for 2023 is likely to be higher than the budget allocation, because of the rise in the numbers of refugees and people seeking inernational protection in Ireland. It should be noted that in 2022, and again in 2023, none of the costs associated with the reception of Ukrainian refugees has been sourced from the Government's original ODA allocation.

The Irish Aid Annual report for 2022 will be launched in October, and will provide full details on the programmes funded by ODA last year.