This paper reviews Ireland's official development assistance (ODA) programme in 2017. It begins with an overview of the global context for development and aid last year, which is described as one of increasing turbulence and disorder in terms of both political and economic events. Growing unease in Ireland arising from the slow and rather chaotic Brexit negotiations between the UK and the other 27 member states of the EU, and the global unease arising from the ‘America First’ policies of Donald Trump in the US pose challenges for global political and economic policies. The global development and aid environment is particularly worrying. In 2017, total ODA flows from member countries of the OECD/DAC amounted to US$146.6 billion, or 0.31% of their combined gross national income (GNI). In Euro terms, Irish ODA amounted to €717.3 million in 2017, a fall of €8.4 million compared with 2016. That represented 0.3 % of GNI, a fall of 0.02% compared with 2016. The paper provides data on total Irish ODA for selected years since 1997 and a breakdown and analysis of bilateral aid expenditures for 2016 and 2017 by sector, channel of delivery and aid modality. The analysis of the multilateral programme includes data and comments on Ireland's work through the EU, the United Nations and the IFIs. The paper also includes commentaries on Irish Aid's new development education strategy launched in 2017 and its new National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017–2020. Looking ahead to 2018, short summaries of Ireland's new SDGs National Implementation Plan 2018–2020 and its first Voluntary National Review 2018 are also included.

This paper reviews Ireland's official development assistance (ODA) programme in 2016. It begins with an overview of the global context for development and aid last year, which was a turbulent one in terms of political and economic events. Forecasts of global growth and trade in 2017 and 2018 are insipid. The results of the Brexit referendum in the UK and the election of Donald Trump in the US pose challenges for global political and economic policies and, in the case of the former, particular challenges for Ireland. A number of important conferences took place in 2016, the most important of which was the World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul in May, preparations for which had been preceded by an Irish Humanitarian Summit held in Dublin in July 2015. In 2016, total ODA flows from DAC donors reached a peak of US$142.6 billion or 0.32% of their combined gross national income (GNI). This represented a rise of 8.9% compared with 2015 after adjusting for exchange rates and inflation. In euro terms, Irish ODA amounted to €723.7 million in 2016, a rise of over €76 million compared with 2015 and representing 0.33 % of GNI. The paper provides data on total Irish ODA for selected years since 1996 and a breakdown and analysis of bilateral aid expenditures for 2014, 2015 and 2016 by sector, channel of delivery and aid modality. The analysis of the multilateral programme includes data and comments on Ireland's work through the United Nations, the IFIs and the EU. Two notable features about the Irish official aid programme that are becoming increasingly evident from analysis of the data are the apparently inexorable shift from the bilateral side to the multilateral side of the programme and the concomitant shift toward humanitarian aid at the expense of long-term development assistance.

This paper reviews some themes and topics relating to Ireland's foreign aid programme that have been examined by this writer in this journal over the past twenty years. Space constrains the review from being completely comprehensive; it confines itself to the main aid topics and themes covered since the publication in Irish Studies in International Affairs vol. 5, 1994, of ‘Ireland's foreign aid in 1993'. The paper begins by showing how the global environment for aid has evolved over the past twenty years. It then reviews the evolution of Irish official aid policy, both bilateral and multilateral, showing how it has usually mirrored events and policy changes at global level and changes in the aid policies of other ‘like-minded’ DAC donors, but also that Irish policy has often produced leading-edge initiatives. The Irish government's major published documents relating to aid, and the evolution of the aims and principles guiding the aid programme over the period, are also examined. The commitment to achieving the UN target for aid donation of 0.7% of GNI has been present since the Irish programme was established, and while it has both advanced and retreated over the years, it has never been abandoned. A recurring theme examined in many of the reviews has been the interaction between Ireland as a donor and the various international institutions with which it cooperates, such as the UN, EU, OECD/DAC and the international financial institutions such as the World Bank. The special relationship between Irish Aid and Irish non-governmental development organisations is also examined, as is Irish Aid's work in development education and engaging with the Irish public. A reading of the ISIA Reviews since 1994 shows how Irish Aid has defined gender, human rights, HIV/AIDS and the environment as cross-cutting issues and has tried to mainstream them in the official aid programme. The paper ends with some concluding comments that sum up the position of the Irish aid programme at the current point in time.

This paper reviews Ireland's official development assistance (ODA) programme in 2011. It opens with an overview of developments relating to the global economy and policy last year. It then presents an overview of official aid flows from DAC donors in 2011, which amounted to US$133.5 billion or 0.31% of their combined gross national income (GNI). This figure represented a fall of 2.7% in real terms compared with 2010 when ODA was at its peak. Irish ODA amounted to €657 million, a fall of €19 million or 2.8% compared with 2010, which itself had represented a fall of nearly 6% compared with 2009. As a percentage of gross national income (GNI), Irish ODA remained static at 0.52% in 2011. The paper provides data on total Irish ODA for selected years since 1991, and a detailed breakdown of bilateral and multilateral aid expenditures for 2010 and 2011. It then analyses expenditure under both the bilateral and multilateral sides of the programme. Under the former, it first provides an overview of Irish Aid's assistance to all its partner countries (PCs) and under all its thematic headings and then focuses on two topics: assistance to its 'Other countries' and changes in the classification of Ireland's partner countries, as well as comparative data on other DCs. Under the multilateral side of the programme, the paper examines Ireland's work with the EU, the international financial institutions and the UN.

The article examines international events in 2009 and Ireland's role in international affairs during this period. It looks at the foreign policy process in Ireland, examining government policy, debate in the Oireachtas and, more generally, coverage of Ireland's practice of foreign relations in the media. Ireland's interests and role in the European Union during the Czech and Swedish presidencies are considered, including the Lisbon Treaty referendum, the continuing global financial and economic crisis and EU external relations. Developments in the UN are reviewed; including Ireland's involvement in a number of UN institutions, fora, initiatives and peacekeeping operations. Finally, the review looks at Irish governmental policy towards and involvement in politics in Northern Ireland during 2009.

The article examines international events in 2008 and Ireland's role in international affairs during this period. It looks at the foreign policy process in Ireland, examining government policy, debate in the Oireachtas and, more generally, coverage in the media. Ireland's interests and role in the European Union during the Slovenian and French presidencies are considered, especially in the contexts of the Irish 'no' vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, the current global financial and economic crisis and EU external relations. Developments in the UN are reviewed; including Ireland's involvement in a number of UN fora, initiatives and peacekeeping operations. Finally, the review looks at Irish governmental policy and involvement in Northern Ireland.

This paper reviews Ireland's official development assistance (ODA) programme during 2007. It opens with an overview of developments relating to global growth and trade, progress toward meeting the millennium development goals (MDGs) and recent demographic developments. It then presents an overview of official aid flows from DAC donors. Irish official aid reached €870.9 million, or 0.54% of GNI, in 2007, the same percentage as in 2006. The paper provides data on total Irish ODA for selected years since 1974 and a detailed breakdown of bilateral and multilateral aid expenditures for 2006 and 2007.

The article examines international events in 2006 and Ireland's role in international affairs during this period. It looks at the foreign policy process in Ireland, examining government policy, debate in the Oireachtas and more generally in the media. Ireland's interests and role in the European Union during the Austrian and Finnish presidencies are considered, especially in the context of the debate over the proposed EU constitutional treaty, preparations for the accession of Bulgaria and Romania and EU external relations. Developments in the UN are reviewed; including Ireland's involvement in a number of UN initiatives and UN peacekeeping operations. Finally, the review looks at Irish governmental policy and involvement in Northern Ireland and the events that led up to the signing of the St Andrews Agreement in October.

This article examines international events in 2005 and Ireland's role in international affairs during the course of that year. It looks at the foreign policy process in Ireland, examining government policy and the domestic debate in Ireland, including international issues discussed in the media and the Oireachtas. Ireland's interests and role in the European Union during the Luxembourg and UK presidencies are considered, especially in the context of the debate over the constitutional treaty, the financial perspective 2007-13 and EU external relations. Developments in the UN are reviewed; including Ireland's role in the Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference; the Minister for Foreign Affairs's role as one of five envoys for the UN secretary-general, in support of UN reform ahead of the Millennium Review Conference in September; and the state's involvement in UN and EU peacekeeping operations. Finally, the review looks at Irish governmental policy on and involvement in Northern Ireland and the events that led up to the July decision by the IRA to lay down its arms.

This paper reviews Ireland's official aid programme during 2001. It opens with an overview of global aid flows, noting that there was an overall reduction of over €2.3 billion by DAC donors last year. In contrast, Irish aid continued to grow strongly. Indications regarding growth in the medium term suggest that in 2001 the government remains strongly committed to meeting the UN target of 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) by the end of 2007. This paper provides data on total official development assistance (ODA) for selected years since 1992 and a detailed breakdown of bilateral and multilateral aid expenditures for 1999, 2000 and 2001, comparing budgets with outturns under each of the main expenditure headings. Budgets for 2002 are also presented. Because of the deterioration in the public finances in 2002, cutbacks in expenditure were instituted across a wide range of government departments, and the aid budget was one of those significantly affected. The 2002 budgets presented here reflect these cuts, and the paper attempts to assess their implications in relation to the 2002 interim aid target. During 2001 the Ireland Aid Review Committee conducted an analysis of the Irish aid programme and examined a wide range of policy options for the future. The report of the committee was published in April 2002. Although the report is somewhat outside the timeframe of this paper, reference is made here to some of its more important recommendations.