Ireland spent €724m on overseas development aid in 2016, which is 12% more than the previous year, but at 0.33% of Gross National Income it is still well below the UN target of 0.7%.
Almost €200m went towards the urgent humanitarian need in Syria, Yemen, and other countries.
The figures are contained in the Irish Aid Annual Report 2016, which was published today.
Almost a quarter of all aid went to NGOs based in Ireland.
Half the allocation was spent on development projects in eight countries including Ethiopa, Malawi, and Sierre Leone.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the UN spending goal would be achieved in 2030.
Dochas - an umberella group of NGOs - said this was too far away.
Spokeswoman Suzanne Keating said the target needs to be met by 2025.
