Global crises demand much higher ambition in Budget 2025

Trócaire?has expressed deep disappointment with the allocation to overseas aid in today’s budget saying it is a?let down?for the millions of people facing the deadly impacts of conflict, hunger and the deep impacts of climate change, and for the 300 million people living in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

While this budget will see €45 million added to climate finance,?Ireland’s actual fair share should be €500m per year and was due to be delivered?each?year since 2020. Government have hit their own targets but this target is too low and too late.

Furthermore, climate finance is being conflated with ODA, it is essential that these should be separate and additional. The same budget for overseas aid should not be used to account for two different targets (of overseas aid and climate finance) as this?risks?insufficient investment. In reality, this budget allocation has provided minimal increases in development spending, despite the growing needs.?

Trócaire?CEO, Caoimhe de Barra , said “This year we have watched in absolute horror at the death, destruction and starvation experienced by the people of Gaza. In Sudan, more than 20,000 people have been killed and 10 million more have been displaced. ?The current budget shows a disconnect with these political realities and the escalating needs that we are seeing in our work.

"This means Ireland is continuing to renege on international commitments to deal with realities of escalating climate change and conflict across the world.?Year after year Ireland has failed to meet the international commitment of 0.7% of GNI on overseas aid, which was agreed decades ago and reiterated in Programme for Government. This is a year where conflict has raged, climate impacts have continued to cause chaos and marginalised communities in the global south continue to have their rights violated. With the growth of far-right movements in Europe and threats to development funding, global solidarity has never been more important."