Ireland
Ireland’s contribution to data for development
According to the 2017 Partner Report on Support to Statistics (PRESS) dataset, Ireland committed on average USD 0.44 million per year to finance national statistical capacities and systems in developing countries in 2013-15.
Financial flows from Ireland to developing countries
Ireland’s use of ODA to mobilise other resources for sustainable development
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USD 332 779 of official development assistance (ODA) was committed to the mobilisation of domestic resources in developing countries, e.g. to support the development of their tax systems, in 2015.
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USD 32.6 million of ODA (-23.8% in real terms from 2014) was committed to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2015.
Ireland’s performance against commitments for effective development co-operation
Ireland’s official development assistance
In 2016, Ireland provided USD 802 million in net ODA (preliminary data), which represented 0.33% of gross national income (GNI) and an 11.9% increase in real terms from 2015 due mainly to an increase in its contributions to multilateral organisations. For the first time in seven years, in 2016 the government increased the ODA budget. Ireland, like other EU member countries, made a new commitment to meeting the 0.7% ODA/GNI target by 2030. Its share of untied ODA (excluding administrative costs and in-donor refugee costs) was 100% in 2015 (up from 98.2% in 2014), compared with the DAC average of 78.1%. The grant element of total ODA was 100% in 2015.
In 2016, in-donor refugee costs were USD 1 million, an increase of 72.9% in real terms over 2015, and represented 0.1% of Ireland’s total net ODA.
In 2015, 59.5% of ODA was provided bilaterally. In 2015, Ireland allocated 40.5% of total ODA as core contributions to multilateral organisations, compared with the DAC country average of 26.2%. In addition, it channelled 18.5% of its bilateral ODA for specific projects implemented by multilateral organisations (multi-bi/non-core contributions).
In 2015, 38.1% of bilateral ODA was programmed with partner countries. Ireland’s share of country programmable aid was lower than the DAC country average (48.8%) in 2015; 41.9% of this aid consisted of project-type interventions. Core aid to non-governmental organisations and humanitarian assistance accounted for almost half of bilateral ODA.
In 2015, USD 183.8 million of bilateral ODA was channelled to and through civil society organisations (CSOs). This equalled 43% of bilateral ODA, compared with the DAC average of 16.9%. Between 2014 and 2015, Irish aid channelled through and to CSOs decreased, both in volume (-46%) and as a share of bilateral aid (from 75.2% in 2014).
Bilateral ODA was primarily focused on sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, Ireland allocated USD 271.9 million to sub-Saharan Africa, USD 25.4 million to the Middle East and USD 15.2 million to Far East Asia.
In 2015, 52.4% of bilateral ODA went to Ireland’s top 10 recipients. Seven of its eight key partners are among its top 10 recipients, showing that it concentrates its aid allocations on partner countries. Irish support to fragile contexts was USD 297.8 million in 2015 (69.7% of gross bilateral ODA).
In 2015, 60.1% of bilateral ODA was allocated to least developed countries (LDCs), amounting to USD 256.7 million. The share allocated to LDCs has remained relatively stable since 2012 (62.4%) with a slight decrease in 2014 (59.6%). Ireland ranked highest among DAC members for the share of bilateral ODA allocated to LDCs in 2015 (the DAC average was 24.3%).
At 0.15% of GNI in 2015, total ODA to LDCs achieved the UN target of 0.15% of GNI.
In 2015, 46.4% of bilateral ODA, or USD 198.3 million, was allocated to social infrastructure and services, with a strong focus on government and civil society (USD 64 million) and support to health (USD 56 million) and education (USD 39.8 million). Humanitarian aid amounted to USD 89.7 million.
USD 289.9 million of bilateral ODA supported gender equality in 2015. Ireland plays an agenda-setting role on gender equality and women’s empowerment as evidenced by its advocacy for the theme when negotiating the 2030 Agenda. In 2015, 79% of its bilateral allocable aid had gender equality and women’s empowerment as a principal or significant objective (up from 48.7% in 2014), compared with the DAC country average of 36.3%. Ireland’s aid to population and reproductive health, education, other social infrastructure, and health focuses on gender equality.
USD 78 million of bilateral ODA supported the environment in 2015. Environmental sustainability, climate change and development have been growing priority policy issues for Ireland. In 2015, 20.7% of its bilateral allocable aid supported the environment, compared with the DAC country average of 33.2%. Also, 17.3% (USD 65.2 million) of Irish bilateral allocable aid focused on climate change, compared with the DAC country average of 26.2%.
Note to reader: Annex B provides “Methodological notes on the profiles of Development Assistance Committee members”.