Tairgim:—
Go ndeontar suim, na raghaidh thar céad míle púnt, chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha, i rith na bliana dar críoch an t-aonú lá triochad de Mhárta, míle naoi gcéad a cúig is dachad, chun Deontais-i-gCabhair do Chumann Croise Deirge na hÉireann chun Fóirithin ar Ghátar san Iodáil de dheascaibh Cogaidh.
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £100,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1945, for a Grant-in-Aid to the Irish Red Cross Society for the alleviation of distress in Italy due to war.
The Dáil will remember the Pope's broadcast of the 1st September of this year in which His Holiness spoke of the deep misery into which vast areas of Italy had fallen, and reminded those countries which had ample resources, of their obligation not to hold them back from those who were starving. The Government has for a long time been endeavouring to secure the necessary facilities for the sending of relief in the way of foodstuffs to Italy, but, owing to the war conditions, without success, except in the case of one small and unimportant contribution.
The situation in Italy, is, in effect, to-day worse than it was at the time of the Holy Father's appeal. The very meagre official monthly rations were reduced for this month to a still more appallingly low level. Motor transport has been reduced by 90 per cent., with the result that a great many districts are at starvation point, with no butter, fats, oils, meat, sugar or milk, and inadequate supplies of grain. Food has become so expensive that rich and poor are selling their clothing and other possessions to buy it. The official ration does not provide for more than two meals per week, and does not include either sugar or oil. There are soup kitchens in Rome and in the other parts of Italy, but the distribution is entirely inadequate. Owing to the impossibility of sending them food, we inquired and learned from the Vatican that a money contribution would be of great assistance.
The Relief Organisation of the Vatican State, as perhaps many Deputies know, has been very active since the early days of the war. They purchased grain for Greece in Hungary, they sent clothing to the children in Finland, they purchased medicines in Switzerland for internment camps in Germany, they took charge of repatriate refugees in Sardinia, Sicily and Southern Italy, they set up food kitchens, medical aid, clothing and lodging depots, they made grants of money to different countries through the Apostolic Delegations.
Under the existing circumstances, it seems best for us, in making our contribution for the relief of Italian distress, to do so through this organisation which has proved so efficient and so ready to help wherever the need existed.
The proposal is that we make this sum of £100,000 available for the Irish Red Cross. The House will remember that about a year ago we gave the Red Cross a special sum of £100,000 for the relief of famine in India. At the same time, when I was introducing that Vote, I asked the House to make a credit of another £100,000 available to the Irish Red Cross. The intention was, however, that that sum would not be called upon unless it was urgently necessary. It was hoped, and I expressed the hope when speaking, that our people would by voluntary subscription give to the Irish Red Cross sufficient funds to enable it to carry out the deeds of mercy which it felt called upon to perform and that it would not be necessary, perhaps, to make any demand at all on the Treasury. The fact is that up to date the Red Cross has had contributions amounting only to about £100,000 and that sum would not be sufficient to cover the money that has already been spent and the commitments immediately ahead. If we were to suggest to them that they should draw on the previous credit to the sum of £100,000, instead of my coming to the House now, they would be eventually without any funds and it would be necessary to come to the House again to put them into funds because, as every Deputy is aware, conditions in many countries in Europe are extremely bad. I feel that on this occasion just as on the previous occasion I came to the House, this Vote from us here, who have in God's providence been saved from the terrible conditions in which other countries have been involved through the war, will be gladly supported by the various sections in the House.
