Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 January 2013
52. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the work of a non profit organisation (details supplied) working in the area of disaster response; his views on meeting the founders of the organisation to discuss their work and the way that he will support it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4832/13]
View answerThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through Irish Aid has been in communication with the founders of the organisation referred by the Deputy on a number of occasions since August 2012.
In my own correspondence with the organisation, I have acknowledged the importance of strengthening access to ICT infrastructure in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters. The organisation specifically sought support to attend a disaster response learning exercise in California, but the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was not in a position at that time to allocate such financial support.
I have also outlined for the organisation some of Irish Aid’s existing engagement in this area of work. In particular, I noted that Irish Aid’s Rapid Response Initiative already works closely with the United Nations agencies through the Standby-Partnership Programme and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster to support the UN in providing information management and communications systems in disaster settings. Under the Rapid Response Initiative, since 2007, ICT specialists have been deployed to a number of humanitarian crises, including those in Haiti, the Philippines, Sudan, Cameroon, Kenya and Mali.
Earlier this week, officials from Irish Aid met with the founder of the organisation to discuss its work and the humanitarian approach of Irish Aid. The meeting allowed officials to provide advice and contacts for the organisation which I believe will prove very useful.
