The Government is to contribute €110 million over three years to new international initiatives aimed at tackling disease and combat child hunger, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has announced.
Speaking at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday, Mr Coveney said Ireland would give €65 million to the new global fund to tackle Aids, malaria and TB around the world.
He said €50 million over three years would be provided to an initiative to combat childhood malnutrition around the world caused by conflict, drought and climate change.
The Minister said that the US government had sought the international community to contribute €250 million towards this project – of which Ireland was allocating €50 million to feeding children “who otherwise may starve”.
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Mr Coveney also said there would be another big increase in spending on overseas development aid in the budget next week.
He said despite all the crises over recent years Ireland had increased overseas aid by hundreds of millions of euro.
