Ireland - One in Five give to Overseas Aid

Research - Irish aid organisations are supported by 850,000 people.

Dublin July 25th: Today, Dóchas presented the findings of an extensive survey of the reach and strength of Irish aid organisations. The research, presented to Minister of State Michael Kitt, shows that the 37 member organisations of Dóchas continue to receive enormous public support, with one in five people in the country making regular donations. "The main finding of our research is that our member organisations benefit from the generous and sustained support of the general public. Last year 850,000 people contributed money to the work of Irish aid organisations and hundreds of people volunteered their time for fundraisers, campaigns and information events. That is truly phenomenal" said Hans Zomer Director of Dóchas, the umbrella group that sponsored the research.

The research found that the members of Dóchas had a combined turn-over of over €280 million, the bulk of which came from donations of the Irish public. The government and the EU supported the work of the aid agencies to the tune of €91 million (or 30% of total income). Over half of the activities by the Irish aid agencies takes place in Africa (particularly East and Southern Africa), but there is also a strong focus on the populous countries of South and South-East Asia. Furthermore, nearly all Dóchas members engage in information and campaigns work in Ireland.

"Overall, the picture that emerges is one of strength: Irish aid organisations work hard and are making serious inroads in the fight against disease, poverty and hunger. And what’s more, the Irish public has faith in their professionalism and dedication” said Hans Zomer.

The research was undertaken by Dóchas as a “health check” on the Irish Development NGO sector. By publishing the survey results, Dóchas wants to make available information about its members – many of whom are household names – in one central place.

“What we have found is that our member organisations are well aware of what their strengths and weaknesses are. And that they have realised that they can address any weaknesses they may have by working together, through networks such as Dóchas. Over the past while, our members have been working together to develop codes of practice on communications, governance and AIDS” said Zomer.

The full report is available from the Dóchas secretariat in Dublin (tel 01-4053801), and on the Dóchas website: http://www.dochas.ie/documents/Dochas_Members_Survey2006.pdf.

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