Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 July 2025
9. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of Ireland’s official development aid in 2024 allocated to global health initiatives, sexual and reproductive health, and gender equality programmes, per region, in tabular form. [36486/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDevelopment co-operation is integral to Ireland’s foreign policy. The priorities for Ireland’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) are set out in 'A Better World', the whole of government policy for international development. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is a key area of focus, and the policy recognises that universal access to health care, including comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care is fundamental to transforming women's health outcomes and to realising sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Ireland is ranked by the OECD as among the member countries with the highest share of ODA with gender equality objectives. We fund interventions directly dedicated to supporting women’s political and economic empowerment; prioritising girls’ access to quality education, addressing gender based violence, and improving women and girls’ access to health, including sexual and reproductive health.
In 2023, Ireland’s bilateral support for gender equality amounted to a total of €61.8 million for principally targeted activities, and €323 million for activities with a significant focus on gender equality.
'A Better World' commits to strengthening Ireland’s interventions in global health, with the objective of reaching the furthest behind first. Health interventions have a particular focus on women and girls, including in humanitarian settings, and on the inclusion of marginalised socio-economic groups such as people at risk of or living with HIV, and, persons living with disabilities.
Global Health Initiatives, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, represent key partners for Ireland in the effort to achieve SDG 3, better health and well-being for all. In 2023 Ireland invested €25 million in Global Health Initiatives. This was increased to €25.5 million in 2024.
In regard to sexual and reproductive health care, our main focus is on the prevention of sexual and gender based violence; enhanced maternal and new-born health; the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS; and reducing unmet need for contraception amongst adolescent and young women, including those in humanitarian crises. In 2023, the most recent year for which detailed breakdowns are available, we targeted €29.9 million on sexual and reproductive health. €10.5 million of this funding was provided to the Global Fund Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
