ODA Increase in Budget 2026 is Evidence of Ireland's Commitment on Global Stage - GOAL Global Skip to content

ODA Increase in Budget 2026 is Evidence of Ireland’s Commitment on Global Stage

 

October 7, 2025 • 2 min read

GOAL welcomes the announcement of the increase of investment of €30 million designated to Official Development Assistance (ODA) in today’s 2026 Budget, bringing the total allocation to €840 million. It is a timely and powerful reaffirmation of Ireland’s steadfast commitment to uphold human dignity wherever it is threatened.

In welcoming the increased funding allocation in Budget 2026 for ODA, Colin Lee, GOAL’s Director of Programme and Operations said,

“It is important that we demonstrate Ireland’s values of humanitarianism, peace, equality and justice in Budget 2026, positioning Ireland as a global leader in ODA. This budget announcement does exactly that. It allows us to continue Ireland’s long-standing commitment to delivering quality and principled funding and humanitarian assistance where it is needed most.”

“As a global leader our values must be matched by our commitments and our ability to deliver upon them but it is not business as usual. The ODA funding landscape has shrunk over the last year and the needs of the people in fragile contexts increase daily, with 1 in 27 people requiring humanitarian assistance to survive across the world. The reset is required. Delivering quality humanitarian assistance in the face of such adversity calls for new ways of thinking, something which GOAL is committed to doing” continued Colin Lee.

CALL TO ACTION: To address and mitigate investment gaps in programme delivery.

Reflecting on what is required now, Colin Lee said,

“Confronting the gaps in assistance and investment with honesty and foresight is what is needed, by both donors and organisations like GOAL. Together, in partnership, finding pragmatic solutions, is the way forward to continue to build on Ireland’s reputation as a global leader.”

Thanks to Irish Aid and the people of Ireland, GOAL delivers humanitarian programmes, directly and through local partners at field level. In 2024, GOAL reached 12.5M people. Some of the programmes which Irish Aid has supported include:

  • Strengthening emergency preparedness in South Sudan, which benefited over 291,000 individuals during floods and disease outbreaks
  • Increased the number of health facilities providing quality health services (by UN WHO standards) and support to victims of gender-based violence in Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda
  • Partnering with local stakeholders in 9 countries, among them Sierra Leone and Haiti, to name a few, to strengthen food systems by promoting sustainable agricultural and fisheries systems and building resilience within communities