- Irish Aid Budget to increase to €855 million, a €14 million increase on funding announced in Budget 2026;
- €3 million in funding to support women and girls in Afghanistan;
- Reconciliation Fund to increase to more than €11 million in 2027, including to support cross-community initiatives in Northern Ireland;
- Increased allocation for Passport Service to meet expected growth in the volume of passport renewals next year;
- Additional €1.25 million to support international market diversification and sports diplomacy;
- Funding of €19.5 million for Emigrant Support Programme in 2027, the highest funding under the programme to date.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, and the Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, have welcomed support for Ireland’s global engagement and Irish diaspora in Budget 2027.
In 2027, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will continue to invest in
humanitarian and development support around the world, increasing our Official Development Assistance Budget to €855 million, a €14 million increase on the funding announced in Budget 2026. The government has increased the allocation for Irish Aid every year since 2020.The government will continue its investment in the Passport Service, both in operations and capital development, to ensure the continued delivery of this first-class service to citizens. €10 million for capital funding and €2.5 million for increased operational costs will be provided due to the expected significant increase in the volume of passport renewals next year.
Budget 2027 also sees €4.25 million for increased funding to the Emigrant Support Programme, Market Diversification and Sports Diplomacy, and the Reconciliation Fund.
Welcoming the 2027 Budget allocation, Minister McEntee said: “Budget 2027 reflects our government's commitment to growing our prosperity and extending our international influence, at a time when many other governments are moving in the opposite direction. We have already expanded our global mission network to 107 locations, through the opening of new missions last year in Belgrade, Chisinau and Sarajevo, and this year in Malaga and Melbourne.”
On the increased Irish Aid allocation, Minister McEntee said: “Vitally, Ireland remains committed to supporting those most in need through our Official Development Assistance Programme. The priority for this increased budget is to maintain a focus on global poverty and on reaching the furthest behind first, particularly in Africa.
“Building on the event that I co-hosted with the Malala Fund in New York last month, I have secured €3 million in funding for programmes to support women and girls in Afghanistan. The prohibition on women and girls accessing education in Afghanistan remains an egregious affront to basic human rights and has dramatically eroded the already dire quality of life for women and girls in Afghanistan. €2 million of this funding will therefore focus on girls’ education.”
Minister McEntee also highlighted the increase of €1 million in the Department’s Reconciliation Fund, which will total more than €11 million in 2027. The Minister said: “The Programme for Government committed us to increase the Reconciliation Fund and I am delighted to continue to deliver on this commitment. The past weeks have been difficult for communities across Northern Ireland, and we have seen the need for civil society organisations working on the ground to provide support across all communities. The government is committed to supporting that work and instruments like the Reconciliation Fund are an important part of this effort.”
Minister McEntee confirmed an investment of €1.25 million to support international market diversification and deepen Ireland’s footprint in key markets globally. She said: “The Government’s Action Plan on Market Diversification has been a vital part of managing the trade uncertainties over the past year and delivering a whole of government approach to supporting businesses with their trade diversification ambitions. Earlier this year, I also launched a new Sports Diplomacy Strategy which includes supporting Ireland’s dynamic sports tech sector and leveraging business opportunities from major sports events. This investment allows us to advance priority actions under both Strategies, further details of which I will be announcing shortly.”
The Minister also commented on the increased allocation for the Passport Service: “The Passport Service continues to provide an excellent service to our citizens, and maintaining a modern, efficient and responsive service remains a priority for this government. We are expecting passport demand to increase by 25% next year. Thanks to significant reforms and improvements introduced in recent years, the Passport Service is well positioned to meet this increased demand within existing staffing levels. Funding provided in Budget 2027 will ensure the Service is equipped to respond to the anticipated high level of demand.”
Welcoming the 2027 Budget allocation for Communicating Europe and promoting careers in EU institutions, Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, said: "Budget 2027 strengthens Ireland’s place in Europe. The Irish EU Presidency has demonstrated the community interest, across our country, in having a conversation about the EU and our role within it. Through the EU Presidency County Pairings Programme, communities across Ireland are building genuine, lasting links with partners in other EU member states, and I am determined that those connections do not end when our EU Presidency does. By maintaining funding for the Communicating Europe Initiative, we are backing community groups, schools and local authorities, who are working to make the EU real and relevant in people's daily lives.
"We also want more Irish people sitting in the rooms where EU policy is made, and that means practical support for people to apply, to prepare and to succeed in securing EU jobs. Ireland has real scope to increase its presence among permanent staff in the EU institutions, and this will be a continued priority for me and my Department over the year ahead, through the continued implementation of the ‘A Career for EU’ strategy.”
Minister Richmond welcomed the increased allocations for international development and the diaspora. He said: “At a time of great uncertainty internationally, when so many other countries are cutting their international development budgets, this year’s budget allocation is a major statement of the government’s commitment to Ireland’s work on development and humanitarian assistance. It will help to combat the global instability which impacts people across Ireland and support our efforts on poverty reduction in the world’s poorest places, particularly in Africa. It will allow us to continue to provide vital humanitarian assistance in Palestine, in Ukraine and in Sudan and will sustain Ireland’s global leadership on food security and nutrition at a time of crisis.”
On the Emigrant Support Programme, Minister Richmond said: “Building greater connections with the Irish Abroad benefits all of us. For more than two decades, the Emigrant Support Programme has supported the delivery of vital services to the most vulnerable of our diaspora and initiatives that nurture our culture and identity around the world. The increased funding of €19.5 million available for 2027 - by far the highest to date - reaffirms the ESP as the flagship programme for delivering the priorities set out in our new Diaspora Strategy.”
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