OECD Endorses Irish Aid Program

The Government's overseas aid programme is "highly-regarded both nationally and internationally," the expert reviewers noted, citing Ireland's generous funding, strong focus on poverty reduction and its commitment to working in partnership with donor countries.

Irish Aid is "a champion in making aid more effective," according to the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which carried out the review. 

Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power T.D., welcomed the report, saying "In this review, the OECD praises Ireland for our long and proud history of helping the world's poorest people. I am proud today that, thanks to you, the Irish public, we continue to save thousands of lives each year.

"This thorough review of Ireland's aid programme by our peers in the international development community shows that Ireland is a world-leader in tackling hunger, poverty and HIV/AIDS in a way that is principled and sustainable.

"Over the last six years, Ireland has spent €4 billion on overseas assistance and even after the reduction to the budget, we remain the sixth highest donor in the world in per capita terms. That is an extraordinary feat for a country of our size.

"More than 80% of our funding goes to sub-Saharan Africa, where our innovative programmes and partnerships mean that millions more families have food to eat, schools for their children and access to life-saving drugs. These are real and tangible achievements of which the Irish people can be justly proud," he said.

The OECD described Ireland as a generous donor, a genuine partner and a champion at making its aid work effectively.

It also concluded that Ireland led the way in HIV/AIDS and that the country leveraged its strong international standing to lobby for gender equality and a fairer deal for developing countries.

"These principles reflect our values as a nation and will continue to define our aid programme," said Minister Power.

He also thanked the OECD and the reviewers for preparing the thorough, 100-page report and said their recommendations would provide useful direction for the aid program.