Introduce a multiannual plan to increase the Irish Aid budget: Foreign Affairs Committee report

The Committee’s report, ‘Review of the Irish Aid Programme’, highlights the fact that Ireland is still some way off achieving the 0.7% target (0.33% in 2016).

Over the course of the past three months, the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence, has been undertaking a review of the Government’s official development assistance programme – Irish Aid. The positive reputation of the Irish Aid programme and its high quality was a recurring theme in discussions with witnesses. Committee Members, based on their visits to Key Partner Countries and engagement with stakeholders, overwhelmingly endorse that positive reputation and urge that the focus of Ireland’s aid, directed to addressing the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable communities, continues.
However, the Committee remains concerned that though successive governments have committed to meeting the 0.7% target, that target has yet to be achieved.

Commenting on the report, the Chairman of the Committee, Brendan Smith TD, said: "The Committee believes that it is vital that Ireland continues to keep its aid promises to partner countries. As a country, we can be proud of our reputation in international development and particularly in ensuring the high quality, effectiveness and above all the impact of Ireland’s official development assistance. This report demonstrates cross-party support for Ireland continuing to play a leading role in tackling poverty overseas through targeted development assistance.  But now it is time to match our reputation with resources.”
“The Committee is of the view that a firm commitment to achieving ODA expenditure of 0.7% of GNI by 2030 is critical to the future of overseas development and unanimously supports calls for a multiannual plan to increase the aid budget on an incremental, phased basis.”

“We welcome the Government's stated commitment to achieving 0.7% by 2030 and we look forward to a clear outline of how that commitment will be achieved. As the development of a new White Paper on Ireland’s International Development Policy gets under way, the Committee calls on the Government to ensure that all recommendations contained in this report are taken fully on board.”

Some other conclusions and recommendations include:

• The Committee commends Ireland’s 100% record in untied aid, calls on the Government to ensure that Irish Aid remains untied and for Ireland to step up its advocacy role in encouraging other donors to provide untied aid.
• On Quality Education the Committee calls on the Government to review and consider an increase in support to education, given the decline in support to the education sector in recent years, placing a particular emphasis on quality education and girls’ education.
• On Gender Equality, the Committee calls on the Government to ensure the opportunity to promote the empowerment of women and girls is advanced; further increase levels of funding; and commit to updating the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s gender policy in the coming year.
• While recognising the many benefits derived from delivering aid through multilateral programmes, the Committee calls on the Government to enhance the oversight measures it has in place, in view of the concerns raised by stakeholders in relation to oversight and accountability within the multilateral system. On Improving Policy Coherence, the Committee calls on the Government to develop a cross-Government plan of action, as recommended by the OECD, and to immediately establish a cross-Departmental body to ensure better coordination and coherence of development policy right across Government and in line with the SDGs.
• The Committee calls on the Government to ensure Ireland does more to increase its voice and participation on development issues at EU and multilateral level, particularly in light of BREXIT.
• The Committee calls on the Government to find ways to strengthen support and funding for innovative ways of engaging with the public, particularly young people to communicate the achievements of the Irish Aid programme and encourage ongoing participation in initiatives focused on development education and volunteering.

Read the report here