Figures compiled by the Department of Foreign Affairs in response to parliamentary questions to Aontú Leader Deputy Peadar Tóibín show that almost €1.3 billion in public funding was provided to NGOs between 2020 and 2024.
The figures reveal that annual funding increased from just over €201 million in 2020 to more than €300 million in 2024, representing an increase of almost 50% over the period.
Among the largest recipients were Concern Worldwide, Trócaire, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Misean Cara and GOAL, which together received well over €100 million in funding during 2024.
The Deputy said “’These figures relate to a single Government Department alone, almost €1.3 billion was paid to NGOs between 2020 and 2024. The amount distributed annually increased from €201 million in 2020 to more than €300 million in 2024, an increase of almost 50% in just four years.”
“In 2024 alone, 897 organisations based outside the State received €155 million, while 177 organisations based in Ireland received €150 million.
The scale of this spending is remarkable. These figures come from a single Department alone. The obvious question is what is the total amount being paid to NGOs across all Government Departments and agencies?”
“ I am not suggesting that the majority of NGOs do not carry out valuable work, However, when one Department alone provides almost €1.3 billion over a five-year period, there must be a clear and transparent system that allows the public to understand the full picture.”
“Currently there is no single location where we can see the total level of Government funding going to NGOs, how that funding is distributed, how much reaches frontline programmes, how much is spent on administration and salaries, and what measurable outcomes are being achieved.”
“The role of NGOs within Irish public life has grown significantly over recent decades. Many now receive substantial public funding and play an important role in service provision, development programmes, advocacy and policy engagement. The public should be able to clearly see the relationship between State funding and the activities being carried out.”
“These figures show funding has increased dramatically. I believe there is a need for the for the State to establish a comprehensive and publicly accessible register of NGO funding across all Departments and agencies. Such a system should provide a clear breakdown of where funding goes, how it is spent, and what results are being delivered,” said T oibín.
The total number of NGOs supported under these schemes, in each of the 5 years requested, is detailed below:
| Year | State based NGOs | NGOs based outside of the state | Total funding to NGOs | ||
| Number | Total funding (€) | Number | Total funding (€) | ||
| 2020 | 78 | €121,594,569 | 654 | €82,686,905 | €201,070,886 |
| 2021 | 80 | €118,304,713 | 665 | €132,609,554 | €247,579,241 |
| 2022 | 78 | €139,304,961 | 679 | €124,015,926 | €259,660,796 |
| 2023 | 101* | €141,913,987* | 714* | €153,295,618* | €290,994,332 |
| 2024 | 177* | €150,217,844* | 897* | €155,357,075* | €300,169,027 |
*Since its inception in 2023 the Shared Island Civic Society Fund supports NGOs across the island of Ireland on a cross-border basis.
107 NGOs have received funding with a total value of €2,998,412. For the purposes of this response they have been accounted for under State based NGOs, although they have by necessity a cross-border partnership presence.
The list of the top 100 NGOs in receipt of Departmental funding in 2024 is set out below.
| Organisation | Funding Allocation € |
| Concern Worldwide | €35,900,000 |
| Trócaire | €30,010,000 |
| International Committee Of The Red Cross | €22,053,414 |
| Misean Cara | €15,485,000 |
| Goal | €14,025,000 |
| International Fed Of Red Cross And Red Crescent | €10,400,000 |
| Save the Children UK | €7,300,000 |
| Irish Council For International Students | €6,837,561 |
| Self Help Africa | €6,100,000 |
| International Rescue Committee | €6,000,000 |
| Christian Aid Ireland | €5,450,000 |
| Oxfam Ireland | €4,700,000 |
| World Vision Ireland | €4,600,000 |
| Cambridge University | €4,300,000 |
| Plan International Ireland | €3,700,000 |
| Halo Trust | €2,500,000 |
| SightSavers Ireland | €2,200,000 |
| Global Crop Diversity Trust | €2,000,000 |
| Action Against Hunger – Sierra Leone | €1,969,500 |
| Blue Action Fund | €1,750,000 |
| Straight Talk Foundation | €1,600,000 |
| International Union for Conservation of Nature | €1,500,000 |
| Climate KIC Holding B.V. | €1,499,870 |
| Action Against Hunger | €1,400,000 |
| Plan International Vietnam | €1,400,000 |
| Welthungerhilfe – Sierra Leone | €1,339,205 |
| Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation(BMF) | €1,300,000 |
| The Halo Trust | €1,300,000 |
| Irish Rule Of Law International | €1,274,482 |
| Dan Church Aid | €1,257,581 |
| Trademark Africa | €1,200,000 |
| Clinton Foudation Health Access Initiative | €1,135,000 |
| National Smallholder Farmers | €1,130,000 |
| Adigrat Diocese Catholic Secretariat [ADCS] | €1,050,000 |
| Helpage International | €1,030,000 |
| Asociación Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres – FCAM | €1,000,000 |
| Avsi Foundation Uganda | €1,000,000 |
| Emergency Nutrition Network | €1,000,000 |
| Fondo De Accion Urgente De America Latina | €1,000,000 |
| GiveDirectly Inc. | €1,000,000 |
| International Planned Parenthood Federation | €1,000,000 |
| International Rescue Committee – Sierra Leone | €1,000,000 |
| Parque Nacional Da Gorongosa | €1,000,000 |
| SEND Sierra Leone | €1,000,000 |
| London Irish Centre | €979,248 |
| Action Aid | €950,000 |
| Children In Crossfire | €920,000 |
| Concillation Resource | €900,000 |
| Family Health International | €900,000 |
| Medici Con L’africa Cuamm (Drs With Africa Cuamm) | €900,000 |
| Care International | €874,000 |
| Vita | €815,000 |
| Oxfam Novib | €800,000 |
| Movement Towards Peace and Development Agency | €755,035 |
| United Nations Foundation (CleanCooking) | €750,000 |
| Aga Khan Foundation | €700,000 |
| BBC Media Action | €700,000 |
| Front Line- The International Foundation for the | €700,000 |
| Talking Drum Studio Sierra Leone | €700,000 |
| Centro International De Mejoramiento De Maiz Trigo | €683,000 |
| E-LICO Foundation | €660,000 |
| Medica Liberia | €650,000 |
| Total Land Care | €650,000 |
| Suas Educational Development | €638,682 |
| Action Against Hunger Canada | €600,000 |
| Instituto Socioambiental | €600,000 |
| Helen Keller International- Sierra Leone | €599,498 |
| The Centre For Counselling Nutrition & Health Care | €585,000 |
| PATH | €575,000 |
| Center for Democratic Governance | €550,000 |
| Irish Development Education Association | €548,000 |
| Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) | €545,754 |
| Irish in Britain (Service Level Agreement) | €526,675 |
| Dóchas | €515,000 |
| Fundacao Masc | €500,000 |
| Legal And Human Rights Centre | €500,000 |
| National Youth Council Of Ireland | €500,000 |
| SNV Zambia | €500,000 |
| Trocaire Sierra Leone | €500,000 |
| Irish Community Care, Merseyside | €469,086 |
| Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation | €440,000 |
| Irish Pastoral Centre, Boston | €429,976 |
| Christian Blind Mission Ireland | €423,395 |
| Comhlámh | €400,330 |
| Aidlink | €400,000 |
| Amref Health Africa | €400,000 |
| EducAid Sierra Leone | €400,000 |
| European Centre for Development Policy Management | €400,000 |
| Femina Hip Limited | €400,000 |
| Fundo Socioambiental Casa | €400,000 |
| Hivos Foundation | €400,000 |
| Human Rights Defenders Project | €400,000 |
| Norwegian Refugee Council | €400,000 |
| Purposeful | €400,000 |
| TradeMark East Africa | €400,000 |
| UZIKWASA | €400,000 |
| Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers | €399,813 |
| Tearfund Ireland | €368,951 |
| Development Perspectives | €367,000 |
| Centre For Humanitarian Dialogue | €350,000 |
| Social Change Assistance Trust | €350,000 |
| Grand Total | €248,265,056 |