Photograph: Damien Eagers/PA WirePaschal Donohoe “followed official advice” that Ireland’s contribution to the World Bank should amount to €141.4 million before he brought that recommendation to Government for approval last year, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said. On Wednesday, Mr Harris argued there has been “an effort by some” to “smear” the decision making process for the funding by the then-minister and “by extension to smear the World Bank”. Last week, the Oireachtas finance committee voted against asking Mr Donohoe to make himself available to answer questions about the State’s contribution to the World Bank. He also said: “Can we just remind ourselves what the World Bank is? “The specific arm of the World Bank that we’re talking about, the IDA, gives grants and low cost loans to the poorest countries and therefore the poorest people in the world.

Source: The Irish Times January 22, 2026 09:04 UTC