Funding from Irish Aid to NGOs

Question 76: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a list of non Governmental organisations which receive funding from Irish aid, the amount of funding received in 2010; and the amount they are budgeted to each receive in 2011. [Ref No: 15753/11]

Response from Minister of State, Ms. Jan O’Sullivan, T.D.(Department of Foreign Affairs) 15^th June 2011

The Government’s aid programme, administered from within the Department of Foreign Affairs by Irish Aid, is sharply focused on the reduction and eventual eradication of global poverty and hunger. Our partnership with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) represents a very important element in this effort, reflecting the broad support among Irish people for the development programme.

In 2010, the Government, through Irish Aid provided over €125 million for the development work of NGOs. This NGO funding is administered through a range of funding schemes covering long term development, emergency and recovery assistance and development education. Significant recipients of such grants include Concern, Trócaire, GOAL, Self Help Africa, Irish Fair Trade Network, Christian Aid, Oxfam Ireland, World Vision, Action Aid and Plan Ireland. These organisations received a combined total of over €77 million for their development and humanitarian work in 2010. As valued partners of the development programme, all these organisations are due to receive grant allocations of a similar size in 2011. Decisions on final disbursements for 2011 are dependent on appraisal and approval processes which are still underway.

Additional funding is provided to NGOs under the development programmes from the nine priority countries for Irish Aid, where we have a commitment to long-term strategic assistance. Furthermore, a small grants programme is administered by eleven Embassies accredited to countries where Irish Aid does not have a bi-lateral development co-operation programme. In total, Irish Aid provides grants to over 200 NGO partners.

The following table provides a list of those organisations which received significant funding (over €100,000) in 2010 from funding schemes administered by Irish Aid headquarters and amounts confirmed to date for 2011.