Irish Aid ‘walks the talk’, says OECD

The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) today published its latest peer review of Irish Aid, Ireland’s international development programme.

The report finds Irish international development to be “strong, with many areas of excellence”, saying that Ireland “walks the talk” in prioritising the furthest behind and is “a leading advocate for multilateralism.”

The report says that the clear focus of Irish Aid enables Ireland to “exercise leadership and make a visible difference.”

Welcoming the report, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D. said:

“I am pleased that the OECD report recognises the excellence of Irish Aid, Ireland’s international development programme. The report shows that, though we may be small, Ireland is a country that does things right.

“COVID-19 reminds us just how interconnected our planet is and how we have to work together to resolve challenges. An effective multilateral system is central to that response and, more generally, is in Ireland’s interest. I was delighted to see the OECD recognise how the Irish Aid programme helps Ireland play a leading, constructive global role advocating for multilateralism and for poverty reduction, channelling our assistance to where it is needed most and making a visible difference.”

Ciarán Cannon T.D., Minister for International Development and the Diaspora, added:

“Irish citizens can be extremely proud of our international development programme, which is helping transform people’s lives around the world. Partnership is at the heart of Ireland’s approach, something highlighted by the OECD when it looked Ireland’s at partnership with Ethiopia.

“Civil society organisations play a central role in the delivery of Ireland’s international programme and I was delighted that the OECD highlighted the strength of Irish Aid’s partnership with civil society.”

ENDS

• Ireland’s 2020 OECD DAC Peer Review is available on the OECD website at this link The peer review found that Ireland is a strong development partner, whose many areas of excellence and good practice could be shared with other donor countries. It highlights Ireland as a leading voice for sustainable development, Ireland’s development cooperation is characterised by support for multilateralism, excellent humanitarian assistance, and quality partnerships with civil society. A poverty focus and commitment to Least Developed Countries are cited as examples of Ireland ‘walking the talk’. The peer review also identifies areas where Ireland can build on its strengths and achievements to improve effectiveness.
• OECD DAC peer reviews typically take place every five years and are an important, robust mutual accountability mechanism and assessment of DAC members’ development cooperation.
• Ireland’s 2020 peer review was led by Australia and Slovenia as examiners, supported by the OECD DAC Secretariat team.
• The OECD peer review team travelled to Dublin, Limerick and Ireland’s Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during September 2019. The team interviewed Ministers, officials from across Government, NGOs, academics, trade unions and other stakeholders as part of their assessment.
• The recommendations provided in the peer review report provide useful inputs as Ireland continuously seeks to improve the quality and effectiveness of our international development approach.