1. What is ‘aid’? What forms can it take? 2. Name and give a brief description of the three sources of aid. 3. Name and give a brief description of the four types of aid.
28.3 Ireland’s Bilateral Aid IRELAND – A WORLD LEADER IN FOREIGN AID
Irish untied aid has contributed to enormous human development rates around the world in the last number of decades. Aid provided by this country has seen extreme poverty halved in some areas in one generation. In other regions served by Irish aid, the likelihood of a child dying before the age of five has been halved. More than 170 million people, almost forty times the population of Ireland, are no longer living with chronic hunger.
Government spending on overseas aid was earmarked to increase by €10 million to €651 million in 2017. The 2016 Budget made an international commitment to spend 0.7% of its national income on helping the world’s poorest people.
However, NGO Trócaire has said it is disappointed by the figure, which it noted left aid spending at the same level as it was seventeen years ago.
Being Creative:
1. List two effects that untied aid contributed by Ireland has had on world poverty.
2. Explain one reason why Trócaire is disappointed with the budget commitment to foreign aid. Can you think of any reason why the Irish government didn’t commit to giving more money than it did in the year 2000?
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Imagine you are an RTÉ news reporter. Create a catchy news headline and short paragraph on Irish aid being donated and used for human development around the world. You can use the information provided in this chapter or visit the Irish Aid agency website: www.irishaid.ie
