Minister says Irish funds for Gaza rebuilding won't be diverted from other programmes
James Cox
A Government minister has said Ireland's aid contribution to the reconstruction of Gaza will not mean funding is diverted from other programmes, adding "at a time like this it's even more important for a small country like Ireland to stand up and say 'this is the right thing to do'."
In addition to €6 million in humanitarian aid committed to Gaza this week, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris briefed Cabinet about plans to commit millions more to the reconstruction of Gaza following the recent peace deal.
This raised some questions about whether funds would need to be diverted from other foreign aid programmes, or domestic programmes.
In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond said "it won't be at the expense of other programmes".
"We're very lucky that we have flexibility with our humanitarian assistance. We have our standard commitment to the UN agencies every year, these ones are most active in Gaza, UNWRA originally but more the World Health Organisation and the World Food Programme at the moment, and we've been able to increase our funding to them.
"One of the things we've really done is paid our bills early. Some countries are not paying these bills, a lot of these bills were due in May but we were able to pay them in February.
"We always have to respond to humanitarian disasters in the world. We responded with great numbers to the humanitarian disasters in Myanmar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria to an extent, so this is what we're able to put into Gaza.
"Palestine is already included in Irish aid programmes so there is a lot of long-term projects we are consistently investing in in the West Bank and Ramallah. More of that will come, we will absolutely be able to find more funds but it's not a case of diversion, it's repackaging and reimagining new sources of income for it."
Speaking in Leinster House, the Fine Gael TD explained that the State's Official Development Assistance (ODA) fund has gone up by €30 million, "so that will allow us to do more in Gaza and other countries".
He said funding for Ukraine is separate to this money.
The fragile peace agreement, led by the Trump administration, still has plenty of uncertainties around it.
Mr Richmond said he envisioned humanitarian aid being the main concern for "six to eight months" before the focus in Gaza shifts to development.
"Shelter, hospitals and schools are urgently needed. The damage that has been done by the sheer lack of humanitarian aid getting into Gaza for so long.
"We had 60 odd days of no aid, just a trickle for a number of weeks, we need hundreds of trucks going in and for the last few weeks it has been an average of 91 a day.
"That goes to show there is a massive humanitarian shortfall, there is famine and people need rapid nutrition packs now, they need hydration tablets, they are dealing with emaciated children.
"This will take a long time to provide the shelter, nutrition and medical assitance needed."
When asked how he would respond to people who question spending millions on foreign aid and development with the housing and healthcare issues at home, Mr Richmond responded: "Firstly, they're perfectly entitled to air their views. These are questions not only that should be asked, but those of us who believe in international aid should be able to answer.
"We're spending more on housing, health and education in this country than ever before. We have a really strong economy, it's not that we're not spending money here or choosing to spend money abroad rather than at home.
"If we were cutting spending here to drastic levels, I'd take it up, but there are record amounts of money being spent on housing. Money isn't the issue in terms of the housing emergency, it's delivery and delivery in rapid form.
"When it comes to international development, firstly, it's the right thing to do. It's not charity though. We are a wealthy country, but we are also a country that has experienced famine, civil conflict, and very severe economic hardships.
"We know a lot of challenges the developing world face, I would argue we were a developing economy until we joined the EEC [European Economic Community].
"There are selfless reasons, but also selfish reasons to international development. I believe international development is also an investment. Look at all the big issues our communities face; inflation, food prices, energy prices and security, irregular migration.
"The mass movement of people in an unregulated manner was the big issue of 2024, immigration is a fabulous thing but you need to be able to manage it and do right by those coming to your country along with those already here.
"The other concern is political extremism, terrorism. These are all things affecting European countries."
He added: "Where is the genesis in all these issues? It's instability in the developing world. Think of people who are on the move from countries like Afghanistan, Syria, south Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia. Poverty, inequality, the real impacts of the climate emergency, that is impacting directly on these people, it impacts the developing world far more than it does us here.
"How are we going to address these issues so they don't impact our country? Are we going to build bigger walls? Or tackle it at source?
"International aid means they can live well in their countries and contribute, rather than just ekeing survival out."
He cited Tanzania and Kenya as two examples of countries who have thrived with international aid.
"We imported €28 million worth of tea from Kenya last year, we exported €16 million worth of cranes from Co Kerry to Tanzania last year. That's an economic partnership, these are countries who have moved from being development partners to partners who are still developing but we have a very strong economic relationship."
US cuts
US president Donald Trump has cut billions in foreign aid from the States' main aid agency USAID.
Mr Richmond said cutbacks in aid from the US and some European countries makes it "even more important for a small country like Ireland to stand up and say 'this is the right thing to do'."
"Development works, 10 per cent of the world is hungry, but it was 50 per cent not long ago. The rates of HIV/Aids, malaria and polio are down.
"One sad thing we are starting to see is that when you stop investing in international development these things creep back up. The decision of the Americans, and some European countries, to cut their aid has seen the rates of these disease plateau and rise, polio is back.
"Look at the countries that are cutting their aid and why they are cutting it, there is a political agenda in the US, Sweden, there was in the Netherlands and Finland with far-right elements with the Freedom Party in the Netherlands, Finland with the Finns Party.
"That level of MAGA Trump tea party republicanism in the US. Oddly, George W Bush was one of the biggest champions of USAID when he was president because he saw it was an investment."
He added: "The point I'd make is those countries have chosen to cut aid under a false political agenda. Other countries are making it a binary choice between aid and security, we've increased our security budget too.
"Fortunately we're in a good financial position, Norway has increased both budgets as have Denmark. When you're increasing in defence and security you need to increase in development too.
"I've made the point to my British and Belgian counterparts who I know don't want to cut their development budget."
Mr Richmond said next year's budget will see Ireland commit the most to foreign development since then-foreign affairs minister Garrett Fitzgerald said “one of the basic objectives of Irish policy” would be international development in 1974.
We have given over €14 million in aid to Sudan, we back up our words with action.
"We lead in the EU when it comes to development aid, along with Spain and Denmark.
"Solidarity is just a word if we only say it in the chamber. Our Government has sought to do practical things with the situation in the Middle East, we haven't drafted legislation that doesn't land. When all other EU member states stopped funding UNRWA we said no and increased our funding by €20 million. We know UN agencies matter.
"When it comes to Gaza, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia have really led at an EU level.
"Now that we have the opportunity to spend development money in a, hopefully lasting, peaceful situation we need to increase it and make sure the EU steps up to the plate on this. It has been inconsistent because the EU is 27 member states all with different foreign policies. The EU can do more.
"We have given over €14 million in aid to Sudan, we back up our words with action."
