IRELAND

POPULATION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ASSISTANCE
OVERALL ASSESSMENT

The Irish foreign aid program concentrates its efforts on poverty alleviation in the world’s least developed countries. Ireland is a relatively generous donor when compared with other developed countries, with contributions of $3,086 per million dollars GNP in 1996.

Ireland is a newcomer to international population and reproductive health assistance, and as such, the Irish population assistance effort remains small. Within the first few years, aid in this area has been limited in size, program focus and geographic scope. Contributions to the sector fall well below the donor average as a percentage of overall development aid, ranking Ireland 17th out of 21 donor countries. Recent population assistance initiatives have included maternal and reproductive health and HIV/STD prevention activities in a handful of countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Central America, and in India.

1 Development Assistance: Policy and Funding

Ireland has one of the smallest, yet fastest growing, development aid programs. Total aid grew from $57 million in 1990 to $179 million in 1996. Over the last five years, the proportion of development aid relative to the size of the Irish economy increased steadily, and in 1997 stood at 0.31 percent of GNP. Ireland has expressed its intention of meeting the United Nations goal of allocating 0.7 percent of GNP to development assistance.

Irish development assistance–provided solely as grants–is administered through the Development Cooperation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin, as well as through overseas development cooperation offices and embassies. Health, education, rural development and safe water supply are priority sectors for Irish assistance.

Ireland’s bilateral program is expanding, and in 1996 received 64 percent of the development assistance budget. Ireland’s official development agency, Irish Aid, concentrates its efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia received nearly 40 percent of the bilateral development assistance budget in 1996, and are considered Irish Aid’s six priority countries. Sudan is also considered a priority country for Irish Aid, but has received limited assistance in recent years because of internal conflicts.

The surge in allocations to the aid program has followed the adoption in 1993 of a four-year strategic plan for development assistance. The Irish government strengthened this commitment in 1996 with the release of a "White Paper on Foreign Policy" expressing the aim of increasing aid and improving the quality of assistance, particularly through the bilateral channel. This paper–the first of its kind to be presented to the Irish Parliament–describes the country’s development assistance program as part of a foreign policy designed to promote "peace and justice in the world."

The White Paper also refers to the 1993 strategic plan’s call for continued growth in aid; an increase from four to six in the number of priority countries for Irish aid; and expanded cooperation with other countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The strategic plan also calls for greater NGO participation in the Irish aid program, and for the creation of an independent committee to advise the Irish Government on development assistance issues. As development assistance levels have increased, Irish Aid has expanded staff resources both at home and in the field, putting special emphasis on hiring local development experts in priority countries.

2 The Policy Environment for International Population Assistance

Historically, domestic controversies over reproductive health and family planning, combined with the strength of the Catholic Church, have kept the Irish government from active involvement in international population assistance. However, Ireland has gradually shown support for population assistance through its recent contributions to UNFPA and assistance to development activities in maternal and reproductive health.

The country’s aid program enjoys continued popular and cross-party political support, despite a change in government in 1997. A recent UNFPA survey also shows popular support among the Irish public for development assistance in the area of reproductive health.

3 Trends in Funding for Population Assistance

Overall and Multilateral Funding Levels:

Ireland began participating in international population assistance in 1993, through a $74,000 contribution to UNFPA. Subsequent contributions to UNFPA increased rapidly, reaching nearly $409,000 in 1995. Ireland’s contributions in national currency to UNFPA increased in both 1996 and 1997, despite reported decreases in U.S. dollar terms. Ireland’s total population assistance rose to $2.9 million in 1995, but then declined in 1996 to $728,000, or just 0.41 percent of total ODA.

Bilateral Funding and Program Priorities:

The Irish government does not consider itself as having a bilateral population assistance program. Irish Aid, however, supports reproductive health and maternal care, and even a small community-based contraceptive distribution project through its health sector programs.

Despite plans to strengthen and expand bilateral efforts in reproductive health, both the volume and share of reproductive health assistance allocated to bilateral activities declined from 1995 to 1996. In 1995, Ireland spent 62 percent of total reproductive health funds or $1.8 million on bilateral activities; in 1996 bilateral expenditures amounted to only 45 percent of total assistance in this area, or just over $325,000.

All of Irish Aid’s bilateral reproductive health activities in 1996 were in eastern and southern Africa. One-third of bilateral funds assisted HIV/AIDS programs while the other two-thirds supported other reproductive health activities in the region. Bilateral funds have only recently supported contraceptive initiatives through a pilot community-based distribution program in Ethiopia.

Funding for NGOs:

Irish Aid directly awards grants to international and local NGOs through its newly revised NGO cofinancing scheme. In 1996, Ireland provided support to a variety of health initiatives including mother and child care, pre- and post-natal care, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. The new NGO scheme decreases the number of funding mechanisms available to NGOs, but increases the number of block grants awarded each year–giving NGOs more financial stability and alleviating administrative burdens on the government. Ireland does not contribute to IPPF, the largest international NGO in the reproductive health field.

4 Technical Capacity

The Development Cooperation Division is currently recruiting additional staff as the overall aid program expands. Staff capacity in reproductive health has improved with the recent addition of a physician at Irish Aid’s home office and local health specialists in priority countries.