Facing Global Crisis with Investment in Education – A Pre-Budget Appeal for Shaping the Future
In October 2025, the Irish Government will announce Budget 2026. This will also set the size of Ireland’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme, which – as an integral part of Irish foreign policy – works on behalf of Irish people to address poverty, hunger, and inequality in some of the world’s poorest countries.
In our Pre-Budget 2026 Submission, we urge the Government to significantly increase the proportion of ODA that is channelled into education in development and emergency contexts, including to and through civil society.
Ireland has a longstanding commitment to education in its development cooperation and humanitarian responses, evidenced by its significant pledges and contributions in recent years. As a member of the Global Campaign for Education, we greatly appreciate Ireland’s leadership and dedication in this field. However, the percentage of ODA spending on education has dropped from 8% in 2020 to only 5% in 2023.
The commitments made in the Programme for Government 2025 and the DFAT Statement of Strategy 2025–2028 to significantly increase the ODA’s proportion going to education, must now be met with concrete action—and extended across both development cooperation and emergency response, with increased direct funding to and through civil society, including locally led organisations.
Today, in a time of rising inequality, escalating conflict, accelerating climate change, and the erosion of democratic ideals, education stands at the forefront of our response as a fundamental safeguard and driver of social justice, sustainable development, and humanistic and humanitarian principles.
Yet, worldwide, a staggering 251 million children are out of school (2024/25 GEM Report, Chapter 7), participation in lifelong learning opportunities remains at a 3% low globally (2024/25 GEM Report, Chapter 10), and low- and low-middle-income countries face a $97 billion financing gap per year (UNESCO).
This must be met with a compassionate and ambitious response. To do so, is not only right, it is based in the interests and values of the Irish people. Education ranks second after health under the most important priorities for the Irish government to support overseas (Dóchas Worldview Survey, p. 63).
The following are our recommendations to the government:
#1 Significantly increase the proportion of ODA that is channelled into education in development and emergency contexts, including to and through civil society.
#2 Make real progress to realise the Irish commitment of 0.7% GNI spent on ODA by 2030 by increasing the ODA budget in 2026 by €300 million.
#3 Increase Global Citizenship Education (GCE) funding towards the widely recognised target of 3% of ODA.
#4 Increase ODA that is channelled into the education of young people, particularly the education of girls.
#5 Increase climate finance for education-specific initiatives.
#6 Ensure robust and sustained investment in global education funds.
#7 Support and engage fully with international efforts to introduce fairer taxation of corporations, particularly the development of the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UNTC), and challenge harmful International Monetary Fund austerity policies, which cut or freeze public sector expenditure, negatively impacting education and sustainable development.
#8 Give strong and public support for the initiative currently underway at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva for a new optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child to strengthen the right to free education under international law.
Learn more about these in our Pre-Budget 2026 Submission.
And read the response of Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD from 8th September 2025.
