Trócaire calls on Government to 'honor its commitments' and increase spend on overseas aid in upcoming budget 

Trócaire CEO, Caoimhe de Barra: 'Ireland’s overseas aid saves lives'. File Picture


Trócaire has called on the Government to uphold Ireland’s reputation “as a leader in international development” by increasing the amount allocated for overseas aid in the upcoming Budget 2022.

The social justice agency urged the Government to “honour its commitments to increase investment” on Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Last year, Ireland spent 0.31% of its Gross National Income (GNI) on overseas aid. The agency wants to see this figure rise to 0.5% by 2025, on the way to reaching an eventual total of 0.7%, as set out by the United Nations (UN).

Within this increased ODA spend, the agency wants to see further investment in agriculture and food systems between now and 2030, progressively aligning these allocations "with sustainable approaches based on agroecological principles."

"Irish overseas aid is having a positive impact on the lives of millions of people throughout the world, but aid is more vital now than ever as the world navigates a series of challenges including the triple threats of Covid-19, climate change and conflict,” said Trócaire CEO, Caoimhe de Barra.

Food shortages

235 million people worldwide are expected to need humanitarian assistance this year - 1 in every 33 people on the planet.

According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Global Report on Food Crises - 2021, 142 million people will face severe food shortages in 2021.

Covid-19

To date, the pandemic has claimed the lives of four million people around the world, and has increased pre-existing inequalities in wealth, gender and race.

The agency said that because of unequal access to vaccines, this is a figure that will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

In a pre-budget submission, Trócaire said the ongoing impact of Covid-19, climate change, and food security meant an increase in overseas aid was needed “now more than ever.” 

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is key to the successful rollout of vaccine programmes in the least developed countries. None of us are safe until all of us are safe. International Aid is vital #NowMoreThanEver.

Learn more:https://t.co/N3C1VahCh9 @Dochasnetwork https://t.co/iv50fx02GA

— Trócaire (@trocaire) September 10, 2021

The agency also called on the Government to ensure that climate finance allocations would increase alongside ODA over the lifetime of the government.

“Although aid is only one part of any systemic response to break the cycle of global crises and address the underlying drivers of vulnerability, international aid is a crucial tool in the fight against poverty and inequality,” Ms de Barra said. 

Ms de Barra said Trócaire, with the support of Irish Aid and the generosity of the Irish public, helped 2.7 million people in 25 countries last year.

She said that the money Ireland spends on overseas aid "helps keep children in school, trains teachers and doctors, keeps hospitals open and helps farmers to adapt to the shocking effects of climate change." 

"Aid expenditure helps women and men to secure their basic human rights. It provides protection and psychosocial support for women experiencing violence, shelter to refugees and rebuilds lives after natural disasters. 

"Ireland’s overseas aid saves lives,” she added.

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