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Reducing poverty, inequality & humanitarian need on behalf of the Irish people. Managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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Minister @neale.richmond has launched the Irish Aid Global Citizenship Education (GCE) grant application process for 2027.

The Irish Aid GCE grants support organisations to build awareness and understanding of GCE, and encourage individual and collective action by people of all ages. Grants are available to a range of organisations, including those working in primary schools, third level institutes, youth organisations and in the adult and community sector in Ireland.

Find out how to apply at: IrishAid.ie by @irish.aid

Reaching people quickly in an emergency starts with preparing before a crisis strikes.

At WFP’s UNHRD hub in Accra, Ghana, we recently welcomed Neale Richmond, Ireland’s Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, to highlight how prepositioning relief supplies strengthens regional preparedness and supports rapid response across Africa.

Thank you, Irish Aid, for your continued partnership and support for emergency preparedness.🤝 by @irish.aid

At this moment, we are seeing two man made famines in the world. The World Food Programme believes this could increase to four by Christmas.

Today, I spoke at a Concern event on food security, under Ireland’s Presidency of the EU.

Nutrition is a key plank of international development. I have seen this firsthand from Irish Aid projects in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and many others. These are programmes that save lives and help elevate communities.

In Ireland, we are all too aware of the terrible impact of hunger as a country that has experienced famine.

Cuts to development assitance have been profound, but there is light with some EU partners reconsidering their cuts to development.

They have seen how cuts to development aid are so damaging to communities in the global south, but also to their own interests. by @irish.aid

Ireland only opened its embassy in Dakar, Senegal in 2023.

Since then, we’ve been able to grow this relationship as bilateral partners but also using Dakar as a gateway into West Africa and beyond.

I was delighted to be able to visit some of Irish Aid’s work in Senegal.

I visited an amazing programme working with farmers and botanists to restore farm and woodlands in rural areas devastated by climate change - this work is creating jobs, meeting climate needs and also providing educational opportunities.

I opened a new eye clinic in Bambey that with Sightsavers ensures thousands of people can avoid unnecessary blindness, allowing them to continue to contribute to their local communities and economies.

I toured a women’s training and community facility in Dakar that provides skills to women who have faced extreme poverty and also gender based violence.

I met with the Foreign Minister to discuss how we can work better to address instability in the Sahel and grow deeper ties.

I launched a new memorial commissioned by the Irish Embassy to celebrate Team Ireland’s participation in the youth Olympics this month.

I visited a vocational programme in Dakar port training young people, predominantly women, in skills to give them jobs in the port.

Finally, I hosted the Irish community and many friends of Ireland for a reception to champion our new sports diplomacy strategy and toast stronger ties with Senegal.

It’s been a super opportunity to work with the amazing team representing Ireland here, now time for home.

🇮🇪🇸🇳🇪🇺 by @irish.aid

Dakar, Senegal. 🇮🇪🇸🇳🇪🇺 by @irish.aid

Minister @neale.richmond met with the Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad H.E. Cheikh Niang in Dakar

The two ministers discussed Ireland’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between Ireland & Senegal, our shared support for the multilateral system, Ireland’s current Presidency of the EU and Senegal’s Presidency of ECOWAS

Discussions also focused on the deepening of trade and investment links and Ireland’s development cooperation programmes in Senegal, in support of the government’s national development plan ‘Senegal Vision 2050’.

Minister Richmond congratulated Minister Niang on Senegal’s hosting of the Youth Olympic Games and outlined Ireland’s approach to sports diplomacy, including through Embassy Dakar.

Ireland – Senegal: A growing friendship 🇮🇪🇸🇳

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La ministre @neale.richmond a rencontré le ministre de l’Intégration africaine, des Affaires étrangères et des Sénégalais de l’étranger, Son Excellence Cheikh Niang.

Les deux ministres ont évoqué l’engagement de l’Irlande à renforcer les relations bilatérales avec le Sénégal, leur soutien commun au système multilatéral, la présidence actuelle de l’Irlande au sein de l’UE et celle du Sénégal à la CEDEAO.

Les discussions ont également porté sur l’approfondissement des liens commerciaux et d’investissement, ainsi que sur les programmes de coopération au développement menés par l’Irlande au Sénégal, en soutien au plan national de développement du gouvernement intitulé « Sénégal Vision 2050 »

Le ministre Richmond a félicité le ministre Niang pour l’organisation par le Sénégal des Jeux Olympiques de la Jeunesse et a présenté l’approche de l’Irlande en matière de diplomatie sportive, notamment par l’intermédiaire de l’ambassade à Dakar.

L’Irlande et le Sénégal : renforcer l’amitié 🇮🇪🇸🇳

#Ireland #Sénégal #NioFar #Diplomatie #Afrique by @irish.aid

Through Irish Aid we work with some of Ireland’s most dedicated organisations who are committed to improving lives in Ireland and further afield.

One of these key partners is Sightsavers.

Access to timely eye care can mean the difference between maintaining sight and losing it unnecessarily.

I visited Bambey Eye Care unit in rural Senegal where Sightsavers have been working with the Senegalese Government and Irish Aid to help in the fight against trachoma, glaucoma and other eye diseases, including the development of cataracts.

The results are staggering.

Because of this diligent, long-term work and commitment, trachoma has been eliminated in Senegal. When this effort started, 9 million people were in danger of blindness and the suffering caused by this horrible but preventable disease.

In Bambey, I was honoured to open a new eye clinic funded by Irish Aid, Sightsavers and local partners. This investment will not only help individuals but also ensure this community can continue to develop and prosper. by @irish.aid

Every year, the Irish Governmenet supports and invests in partners across some of the world’s most challenging environments.

We work hard to ensure that every Euro spent is done so transparently and that real value for money is achieved.

The accounts of Irish Aid are of course subject to audit, scrutiny by Oireachtas Committees, reportable to the Comptroller & Auditor General and accounted for in the Irish Aid annual report.

However, it is still vital to see the work in person to not only ensure that it is a good investment but also to reassure partners of the Irish people’s unwavering commitment to International Development despite the decision of others to cut their budgets. by @irish.aid

Ireland opened its newest diplomatic mission in Africa and first in francophone West Africa, Embassy Dakar in 2023.

Today, Minister @neale.richmond is visiting Senegal to highlight the political, economic, development cooperation and cultural and people-to-people connections between our two countries and reaffirm Ireland’s commitment to strengthening the bilateral and Team Europe relationship.

A key focus for the visit is Ireland and Senegal’s shared commitment to the transformative potential of sports diplomacy. In particular, as Senegal prepares to host the Youth Olympic Games, the historic first-ever Olympic event in Africa.

M. Neale Richmond, député et ministre d’État chargé du Développement international et de la Diaspora, effectue une visite au Sénégal du 21 au 23 octobre 2026.
En 2023, l’ambassade de Dakar a ouvert ses portes, devenant ainsi la plus récente mission diplomatique de l’Irlande en Afrique et la première en Afrique de l’Ouest francophone. La visite du ministre met en avant les liens politiques, économiques, de coopération au développement, ainsi que les relations culturelles et entre les peuples de nos deux pays, et réaffirme l’engagement de l’Irlande à renforcer les relations bilatérales et avec « Team Europe ».
L’un des axes principaux de cette visite est l’engagement commun de l’Irlande et du Sénégal en faveur du potentiel transformateur de la diplomatie sportive. Cela revêt une importance particulière alors que le Sénégal se prépare à accueillir les Jeux Olympiques de la Jeunesse, le tout premier événement olympique de l’histoire à se dérouler en Afrique.

#Ireland #Sénégal #NioFar #TeamEurope #Develeoppementdurabke by @irish.aid

In Ghana this week, in Ireland's role as @ireland2026eu, Minister @neale.richmond co-chaired a meeting of Sahel Special Envoys along with the EU Special Representative Birgitte Markussen.

While in Ghana, Minister Richmond met with Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.

The Minister also visited the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD), at Accra’s international airport which is supported by Irish Aid. This depot is one of four UNHRD hubs which Ireland uses to store its humanitarian relief items and arrange their delivery to humanitarian crises.

Minister Richmond also met with Irish Aid partners, Irish Aid fellowship awardees, and members of the Irish community. by @irish.aid

Today is #WorldFoodDay🌱

Worldwide, one in eight people suffer from hunger. A further 2.4 billion people suffer from under-nutrition. That is one in every three people in the world who lack adequate nutrition.

Combating hunger and under-nutrition has been a cornerstone of Ireland’s development programme since its inception. by @irish.aid

In 2025, 1,187 aid workers were killed, injured, kidnapped or arbitrarily detained worldwide, the highest number ever recorded. Already this year, ninety-two aid workers have been killed.

Today, as part of our Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, @neale.richmond, and European Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, @hadjalahbib hosted an International Conference on the Protection of Humanitarian Aid Workers.

Ireland is committed to providing robust humanitarian funding and to maintaining the quality and flexibility of that funding. Flexible This funding which allows humanitarian organisations to rapidly respond to evolving needs and security dynamics, to navigate complex access constraints and other impediments and to support the safety and security of humanitarian personnel.

@ireland2026eu by @irish.aid