Ireland

Ireland

General information on development cooperation

Ireland has had a development cooperation programme since 1974 and it is an integral part of Ireland’s foreign policy. The overarching objective of Ireland’s development cooperation programme is to reduce poverty and eradicate hunger. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides foreign and trade promotion advice to the Irish government. Irish Aid, the Development Co-operation Division of the Department, manages the government’s development cooperation programme. It also has a coordinating role in relation to overseas official development assistance (ODA) by other government departments, mainly the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Finance. Total aid expenditure in 2015 amounted to €648 million (0.36 per cent of gross national product).

Aid for Trade Strategy

Ireland’s overseas development policy is rooted in a desire to play an advocacy role in the fight against global poverty and the eradication of hunger. In this respect, Ireland seeks to ensure that global trade is seen as an effective tool in the fight against poverty in developing countries, appreciating fully the powerful impact international trade can play in the promotion of economic development and the alleviation of poverty. Ireland has a particular focus on the least developed countries (LDCs).

Ireland’s support for AfT is firmly in line with the EU AfT Strategy and with Ireland’s 2013 Policy for International Development One World One Future, both of which have the eradication of poverty and hunger as their primary and overarching objective. Ireland’s vision is that developing countries should reform trade policy in line with their broader national development plans. Therefore, as part of its overall support for AfT, Ireland provides support (€1.6 million in 2016) to the LDCs and other most vulnerable countries through the major, mainly Geneva-based, international organizations involved in trade-related technical assistance and trade-related capacity building.

Agencies

Principal official agency responsible for TCB assistance to developing countries

Irish Aid
Contact details

Tel: +353 61 774142

Web: http://www.irishaid.ie

Physical Address
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Riverstone House,
23-27 Henry Street, Limerick, Ireland
Description

Irish Aid, the Development Co-operation Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, manages the government’s development cooperation programme. It also has a coordinating role in relation to ODA by other government departments, mainly the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Finance. Irish Aid is headed by the Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development. Irish Aid oversees Irish development cooperation relations with bilateral, multilateral and civil society partners in addition to Irish-based organizations and institutions. An Africa Section has lead responsibility for political relations with Africa and for the implementation of the Department’s Africa Strategy, which has seen an increased focus on private sector development. Irish Aid’s programme is completely untied, that is to say it is not conditional in any way on the use of Irish goods or services.

Irish Aid provides regular input on the development dimension of trade policy to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This Department is responsible for formulating, developing and representing Ireland’s trade policies as a Member State of the European Union (EU) and as a member of the WTO. Irish Aid supports a range of initiatives and programmes at national and international level aimed at strengthening the capacity of developing countries to expand and benefit from international trade.

Other government and official agencies with responsibilities directly relevant to TCB

Dublin Port Company
Contact details

Tel: +353 1 887 6000

Fax: +353 1 855 7400

E-mail: info [at] dublinport.ie

Physical Address
Port Centre - Alexandra Road
Dublin 1 – Ireland,
Description

Dublin Port Company is a self-financing, private limited company wholly owned by the state, whose business is to manage Dublin Port, Ireland’s premier port. It is responsible for the management, control, operation and development of the port, and provides a number of key services to its customers within the port, primarily vessel traffic management, pilotage and towage. Dublin Port provides technical assistance (TA) and training to the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management Programme for English-Speaking Developing Countries.

Enterprise Ireland (EI)
Contact details

Tel: +353 (1) 7272000
Fax: +353 (1) 7272020
 

Physical Address
East Point Business Park
The Plaza, Dublin 3

Description

EI is the government organization responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. EI works in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales on global markets.

Industrial Development Agency (IDA)
Contact details

Tel: +353 1 603 4000
E-mail: idaireland [at] ida.ie
 

Physical Address
Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland

Description

IDA is Ireland’s inward investment promotion agency, a non-commercial, semi-state body promoting Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland through a wide range of services. The IDA partners with potential and existing investors to help them establish or expand their operations in Ireland.

Port of Cork
Contact details

Tel: +353 21 427 3125
Fax: +353 21 427 6484
E-mail: info [at] portofcork.ie

Physical Address
Port of Cork Company, Custom House Street
Cork,T12 CY88, Ireland

Description

Port of Cork is a state commercial port company. It is the key seaport in the south of Ireland. The Port provides and facilitates port activities and services including roll-on roll-off, lift-on lift-off, bulks, cruise, pilotage, and channel dredging and land and property rental. Port of Cork provides TA and training to the UNCTAD Train For Trade Port Management Programme for English-Speaking Developing Countries.

Other offical and NON-governmental organizations involved

Proudly Made in Africa (formerly Value Added in Africa)
Contact details

Tel: +353-1-8044730 or +353-1-8044733

Physical Address
Gateway House, 133 Capel Street,
Dublin 1, Ireland
Description

Founded in 2008, Proudly Made in Africa is a UK and Ireland based non-profit organization that builds sustainable channels to market for African products.  It supports African producers to market and promote their products in target markets as well as providing sourcing and logistics support to UK and Ireland traders.

 

Selected TCB programmes and initiatives in this guide

The European Centre for Development Policy Management
TRADE POLICY DEVELOPMENT
LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
TRADE RELATED FINANCIAL SERVICES
TCB cooperation initiatives with UN/international agencies and bilateral partners

Ireland acts as a member of certain UN/international agencies, participates in governing mechanisms of certain international agencies and supports specific projects of certain UN/international agencies. Financing mechanisms are a mixture of providing core funding to and/or funding specific projects of UN/ international agencies.

Ireland has arrangements with the following international agencies:

Advisory Centre for WTO Law (ACWL); the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM); the International Trade Centre; World Bank; the WTO; and UNCTAD, in line with UN/WTO accounting and reporting procedures or as out- lined in Memoranda of Understanding with the relevant international agencies.