INEW published its Pre-Budget 2027 Submission, developed collectively by INEW members.
We kindly invite you to read our concise two-page submission for the full recommendations.
It was shared with:
- Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Simon Harris, Minister for Finance
- Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora
- Hildegarde Naughton, Minister for Education and Youth
- Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality
- Michael Gaffey, Director General of Irish Aid
- and other key stakeholders.
Ireland has a longstanding commitment to education in its external action, development cooperation and humanitarian responses – deeply valued by the sector at a time were 273 million children are out of school globally, marking the seventh consecutive year of a rise in out of school numbers.
Building on this leadership, the Irish Government in its 2025 Programme for Government committed to “significantly increase” the proportion of ODA allocated to education. This commitment was reiterated in the DFAT’s strategy for 2025–2028. Budget 2027 presents a critical opportunity to turn this promise into action and, as Ireland shapes international priorities through its EU Presidency, reinforceits longstanding leadership in advancing global education at a time of unprecedented global need.
Our key recommendations include:
- Significantly increase the proportion of ODA channelled to education, including to and through civil society.
- Make meaningful pledges to the 2026 replenishments of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) – the two global education funds with their complementary purposes are crucial to providing education to children in all contexts, from humanitarian crises to fragile and low-income settings.
- Use the Irish EU Presidency to advance equitable, sustainable, and rights-based education financing in EU external action.
The submission also highlights key enablers:
- Delivering on Ireland’s 0.7% ODA Commitment
- Investing in Teachers
- Investing in Global Citizenship Education
We invite you to read and share our concise two-page submission across your networks. Together, we can ensure that Ireland continues to champion education for those furthest behind and help build a world where no child is left behind.
