asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Vietnamese and Kampuchean refugees who have died either in endeavouring to escape their country, on the high seas or in refugee camps.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vietnamese Refugees.
23.
I have seen reports which suggest that a high proportion of those attempting to leave Vietnam or Cambodia have died, and some media reports suggest that 50 per cent to 75 per cent of those leaving by sea are lost. However, I feel that in the present circumstances it would not be possible to have accurate and detailed figures.
An accurate estimate of the number of deaths in refugee camps is not yet available from the office of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees.
Would the Minister agree with the general estimate that the number of people who have died would be of the order of 250,000?
I would agree that there have been consistent reports to that effect. I hope to be better armed with actual data in this context as a result of my attendance at the UN Conference on Refugees at the weekend.
Would the Minister further agree that this is an international catastrophe of a scale which we have not known since the last war?
I certainly do. We have expressed that view and we hope to express it on behalf of the nine member states of the EEC.
Could the Minister clarify the position with regard to Ireland's decision to receive refugees?
24.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the worsening situation of the Vietnamese refugees, a decision to increase the number to be admitted to this country has been taken.
25.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to a newspaper report (details supplied) headlined "Ireland will take another 500 Viet Boat People" and attributed to him in an interview after a meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers in Paris and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions No. 24 and 25 together.
Deputy O'Keeffe is no doubt referring to an interview which I gave RTE radio on 18 June after a meeting of EEC Foreign Ministers in Paris. When I was asked, in the course of that interview, whether Ireland would be receiving more than the 100 refugees from Indo-China which had already been announced, I said that I felt sure the Government would make a further positive response towards relieving the terrible plight of the refugees. I did not however, indicate what this response would be in terms of any specific extra numbers of refugees to be admitted to Ireland. The Deputy will be aware that the Government have now taken a decision in principle to admit a further 100 refugees.
Is it the Minister's view that, even increasing the figure to a total of 200, it is a poor response to this awful situation?
I have no knowledge of where these figures came from. I have indicated the Government's readiness to respond to the situation. There are practical problems for the refugees, particularly in relation to the pre-reception stage, which means that before we can indicate the number we must have accommodation to cope effectively with 100 or 200. It is proving very difficult to get that kind of accommodation.
Would the Minister agree with the estimate made by the UN that there are approximately 338,000 refugees in south-east Asia with nowhere to go and no country that holds out any prospect of accepting them? In that context does the Minister agree that the number of places this Government have offered is not at all sufficient? Is any qualification being set as to the type of people being admitted or will all people, of all levels of education, be accepted in the quota?
We are not setting any qualification whatsoever. We will accept exactly those whom the UN High Commissioner selects for us. In addition to the number of actual refugees we have indicated we will accept—which is under the control and administration of the Minister for Defence—the Government are also providing extra funds in this region and the European Community countries as a whole are also making funds available to cope with this question. The matter will become very much clearer after the conference at the weekend.
Is there not a danger that if we do not actually take these people in here soon a number of them will have died in the refugee camps and may never get here and that our saying we will accept them in six months' time will be worth nothing?
We have never said that. We have indicated our willingness to accept them as soon as the UN High Commissioner can send them.
Has there been any concerted effort at EEC level to reduce this appalling catastrophe?
Yes. I will present my views on that at the conference.
I would ask that we be allowed to finish all the questions addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs because otherwise they will lie until October. Can we get an agreement on that?
I would point out that any remaining questions will be answered by written reply unless Deputies, before 5 o'clock this evening, signify their intention to have them left on the Order Paper.
Is it not the intention to allow the Minister for Foreign Affairs to reply to his remaining questions?
I know the Deputy has a very important question. Unfortunately I have a very important time table. I know the question the Deputy is referring to and I am in the hands of the Chair. It is the second next question. With the permission of the Chair I will deal with the next two questions.
What is the Minister proposing to do?
If this is being done, it is on the understanding that this will not in any way interfere with the arrangements arrived at between the Whips.