Ireland is well-known for being at the forefront in fostering policies and programmes for global development.  The Irish are well-known for their generosity in responding to humanitarian emergencies, and are also amongst the world’s top donors in per capita terms in support of more long-term development programmes.

Irish voices are renowned for speaking out against poverty and injustice, and Irish celebrities such as Bob Geldof and Bono have used their status and influence to advance many important causes such as the campaign for debt forgiveness in the developing world and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Computer-literacy among adolescents – conducted by Destitute Welfare Trust, Delhi with the support of Irish Aid

While India is not a bilateral programme country for Irish Aid – the Irish Government’s official development cooperation programme – it is still a significant focus of the programme with some €5m being spent in India each year.  A substantial proportion of the funding is channelled through some of the large Irish NGOs, icnlduing Trócaire, Goal and Concern, with whom the Irish Government has long-term collaboration programmes, and these agencies augment the Irish Aid funds from their own resources in order to implement large-scale programmes in their focus states including  Orissa and West Bengal.

Other portions of the funds are granted to a second category of Irish and international NGOs to fund stand-alone projects and programmes through the Civil Society Fund. 

At the same time, an increasing level of resources is being earmarked by the Irish Government for supporting the work of indigenous civil society within India, and this programme is being administered by the Development cooperation section of the Embassy in Delhi.

Rural Women using EDUSAT to share knowledge

The Embassy is pursuing a range of initiatives and strategies to ensure that its resources produce maximum outcomes in terms of efforts to reduce poverty in some of the poorest parts of the country.  There are many examples of innovative approaches.  The Embassy is supporting a number of projects that promote computer-literacy among adolescents in order to equip them for jobs in ‘new industries’.   Several other programmes also aim to leverage the power of new technologies including, in collaboration with the UN in India,  an Internet-based ‘Solution Exchange’ which brings stakeholders together in virtual fora to work on shared challenges and benefit form shared experiences.  There are programmes which promote good administration and accountability in the NGO sector so that civil society can play its role more efficiently.  There are programmes focused on empowering women, including a training programme for women entering politics through the Panchayati Raj system.  In rural West Bengal, one NGO is using Irish Aid funds to develop wells at girls’ schools, supporting the twin aims of providing clean water and promoting education for the girl-child.

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív and Mrs Ó Cuív, accompanied by Mr Pat Bourne, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy, New Delhi  with children at Asha Community Health and Development Society 

The Irish Aid approach in India focuses on outcomes and results, and the Embassy promotes a strong culture of learning, monitoring and evaluation.   The Embassy itself recently received a very good report card from an Inspection and Audit team which visited India to conduct a regular ‘value-for-money’ check on the programme.  Further information on Irish Aid’s global programme can be found at the main Irish Aid website.

Empowerment of women, a session in progress and attended by Mr Anand David, Programme Assistant at the Embassy, conducted by Research and Human Development Centre, West Bengal with support from Irish Aid

For further information on Irish Aid programmes in India, you can contact Anand David, Programme Assistant at the Embassy of Ireland.

Contact details

Mr Anand David
Programme Assistant
Development Cooperation Section
Embassy of Ireland
230 Jor Bagh
New Delhi 110003
Phone (00 91 11) 2462 6733
E-mail: newdelhiirishaid@dfa.ie