Coveney quadruples Ireland’s WHO budget as Trump slashes €500 million

Tanaiste Simon Coveney has announced the Ireland will pledge extra money to the World Health Organisation after Donald Trump slashed the US’s contribution.

On Tuesday, President Trump announced that he was pulling back on funding to the WHO and said they would withhold $500 million from the organisation.

He said: ‘With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns about whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible.

‘The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion.

‘It could have been contained at its source.’

Mr Trump’s decision has received serious criticism from a number of leaders around the world.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said: ‘We regret the decision of the president of the United States to order a halt in funding to the World Health Organisation.’

Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, added: ‘We alerted the world on January the 5th. Systems around the world, including the U.S., began to activate their incident management systems on January the 6th.

‘And through the next number of weeks, we’ve produced multiple updates to countries, including briefing multiple governments, multiple scientists around the world, on the developing situation — and that is what it was, a developing situation.’

Microsoft founder Bill Gates tweeted: ‘Halting funding for the World Health Organisation during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds.

‘Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organisation can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.’

In response to the WHO losing money that it will need to continue its work tackling the coronavirus crisis, Mr Coveney confirmed that Ireland is quadrupling its payment.

He tweeted: ‘#Ireland strongly supports @WHO in efforts to coordinate a global response to combat #COVID19.

‘So many countries rely on @UN expertise and capacity to save lives.

‘Ireland is quadrupling our normal annual financial contribution to @WHO for 2020 to €9.5 million.’