Ireland’s development aid reaches its highest ever level

Ireland’s development aid reaches its highest ever level

 Ireland’s official development assistance reached €869m in 2007 - its highest level ever and an increase of 6.7% on 2006 figures. 

The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD confirmed today that Ireland’s aid was 0.54% of our Gross National Product last year, exceeding the Government’s interim target of 0.5%.  This puts us on track to reach spending of 0.7% of our GNP on overseas aid by 2012 ; three years ahead of the UN target and in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government.   Our aid volume has increased five-fold over the last ten years.

Speaking after publication of the OECD figures, The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, TD, said:

“Ireland’s commitment to global development is stronger than ever and the figures today confirm that we are firmly on course to meet the UN target of spending 0.7% of our GNP on overseas aid by 2012.  Ireland is now the sixth largest donor of development assistance in the world in per capita terms.  This is something of which Irish people, with their renowned generosity and sense of caring, can be rightly proud. We are showing real leadership in the fight against global poverty.”

Ireland’s performance was particularly significant given that the combined ODA of the fifteen members of the DAC that are also EU members fell by 5.8% in real terms mainly due to a decrease in debt relief grants.   Globally, total ODA from DAC members fell by 8.4% in real terms in 2007 to $103.7 billion again due to the ending of exceptionally high debt relief in 2006. 

The Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Michael Kitt, TD, commented:

“It is clear that the international commitment to development must be stepped up if we are to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals.  Ireland is doing its part by scaling up our aid volume and by focusing on the social sectors which have most impact on poverty.  But we will also advocate for greater international engagement for development and lend our support to any new initiatives to re-build momentum including within the EU. ”

Note for editors

Ireland’s overseas development assistance (ODA) is expected to reach €914m this year and current estimates suggest that the spend will reach €1.4bn by 2012 to reach the UN target of 0.7% of GNP in the Programme for Government.  Ireland’s aid programme has seen a five fold expansion over the last 10 years.  In 1998, our total ODA was €177m. 

Within the European Union, only Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and Luxembourg allocate a greater percentage of GNP to overseas development assistance than Ireland (see attached OECD chart). 

The majority of our bilateral assistance is focused on Africa, which has the greatest concentration of least developed countries.   Seven of our nine programme countries are in Africa, including Malawi where we opened an Embassy last year.  Irish Aid spending is also allocated primarily on the social sectors including health, education and the fight against HIV and AIDS.   The environment, gender and governance are also priorities as they are areas that most impact on the lives of the world’s poorest people.  Our contribution to the fight against HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases is now over €100m and we also allocate over €100 million to responses to humanitarian disasters and reconstruction efforts.

Irish Aid works with a variety of national and international partners to reach its objectives.  These include United Nations agencies, the European Union, other donor countries, non-governmental organisations, global funds and of course beneficiary countries themselves.  This year we will channel almost €140m in assistance through major NGOs such as Concern, Goal, Trocaire, Christian Aid and Self Help International.

While the 2007 global outcome on aid spending by donor countries is down on 2006, this is largely due to the ending of exceptionally high levels of debt relief (notably for Iraq and Nigeria) in 2006.  Excluding debt relief grants in 2006, ODA rose over the two years slightly by 2.3%.  Bilateral aid to sub-Saharan Africa, excluding debt relief, increased by 10% in real terms.  Overall, however the OECD notes that globally donors are not on track to meet their stated commitments to scale up aid.

SOURCE : OECD

CHART 1: NET OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IN 2007

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Press

4/4/08