SINN FÉIN FINANCE spokesperson Pearse Doherty has described the revelation that Paschal Donohoe gave the World Bank an extra €10 million while he was still a government minister as “very serious”. 

Donohoe resigned as finance minister last November to take up a job at the World Bank. 

Documents obtained by Extra.ie show Donohoe opted to provide the World Bank with €141.4 million on 24 April 2025, even as officials in his department recommended giving significantly less. The World Bank itself recommended that Ireland give €131.4 million.

When the contribution was announced in April, Donohoe said: 

“In light of the current international landscape, geopolitical tensions, and decisions by others in respect of commitments to Official Development Assistance, it is now more important than ever that we step up and make a contribution where we can.”

Doherty today called on the government to provide “full transparency” about how the decision was made.  

“This is a very unusual decision and raises serious questions,” the Sinn Féin TD said in a statement.

“It is vital that the public is given full transparency particularly as Paschal Donohoe went on to take up a €600,000 job with the bank just months later.” he said.  

Doherty said the public needed to know the timeline of when Donohoe became aware that there was an opening for a top job with the World Bank and when he became aware that he was being considered for the position.

“This is important because it would be inappropriate for the minister to recommend this funding increase without informing his government colleague of any conflict of interest. 

“The public deserve to be assured that this was not the case. There needs to be complete transparency around this decision.”