Deputy Charles J. Haughey has been given permission to put a Private Notice Question to the Taoiseach.
Private Notice Question. - Famine in Africa.
asked the Taoiseach if he will appoint a Cabinet Minister to take full personal charge of a national campaign involving the mobilisation of all available resources to ensure the immediate flow of food and other necessary supplies by the quickest and most direct method possible to Ethiopia and other famine stricken countries of Africa; and if he will also, as President of the European Council, personally contact all the Heads of Government to arrange for the immediate release of all suitable food surpluses in Community hands and their immediate transportation by whatever means are necessary to the same areas.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, very ably supported by the Minister of State at his Department, is already exercising, most actively and with considerable success, his ministerial responsibility to direct and co-ordinate Irish efforts to secure the objectives to which reference is made in the Deputy's question.
The Government have agreed, and the Minister announced in the Dáil on 25 October, an additional allocation of £250,000 to the Disaster Relief subhead of the vote for International Co-operation for the relief of famine in Ethiopia, in addition to previous allocations to that country of £60,000. This will bring the total allocation for disaster relief this year to £550,000. In proportionate terms, the additional allocation is on a par with additional sums decided by some other member countries of the Community.
The previous allocations for the relief of distress in Ethiopia were allocated to the relief programmes being conducted in that country by Irish non-governmental organisations. The activities funded have included emergency feeding operations and the internal transport of food aid within Ethiopia. These organisations have been doing magnificent work and, on behalf of the Government, I wish to express our appreciation of and support for their work which has evoked a most generous public response, fully in accord with the best traditions of the Irish people.
Up to £750,000 had been collected up to recently by appeals launched by the various non-governmental organisations, and it is already clear that further significant amounts are being subscribed, as public consciousness of the tragedy threatening, not only in Ethiopia but in other countries in Africa and indeed, elsewhere, has grown. Moreover, the impact of Irish personnel in the field is such that the amounts of funds being channelled in direct relief work through them by other funding agencies, including the European Community, is much larger than the funds collected from Irish sources.
While quite a number of organisations are involved in fund-raising in Ireland, I understand that there is good co-ordination between them, both in Ireland and in the delivery of aid in the field in Ethiopia. It is clear from detailed reports from the field, in particular from the Christian Relief and Development Association, the main co-ordinating body for the voluntary relief effort in Ethiopia, that aid is getting through to the people in need, largely through the non-governmental organisations. However, in order to ensure the best possible co-ordination, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of State, have had lengthy consultations with the Irish voluntary agencies primarily concerned on all aspects of the current emergency, including how the Government might best liaise with them in deploying efficiently the additional funds made available by the Government for emergency relief.
I should mention here that one purpose to which these funds are being put is to cover the cost of transporting Irish grain being purchased with £60,000 being provided for that purpose by the Irish Farmers Association.
In view of the magnificent efforts over a long period by so many organisations, it is perhaps invidious to refer to any single initiative. However, I hope I will be pardoned if I avail of this opportunity to refer, for the information of Deputies, to the airlift today in an Irish Boeing 737 aircraft supplied by Guinness Peat Aviation Ltd. of six and a half tons of supplies, comprising medicines, milk powder, crushed grain, spare parts for trucks, blankets and plastic sheeting. A second plane load of 22 tons of food and medicine will leave Dublin next week, with the transport costs being borne by the Government. A further aircraft carrying supplies will leave Dublin on 12 November.
I can assure the Deputy that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of State and the Government, are sparing no effort in mobilising resources and in ensuring their delivery by the most direct methods possible, through the network of contacts established over a long period by the Minister's Department and through the distribution channels of which they have an intimate knowledge.
In regard to action by the European Community, I can tell the Deputy that, even before our Presidency commenced, it had been agreed at a meeting of Ministers chaired by me that special efforts should be made during it to ensure a more substantial Community response, both in the short term and in the long term, to the problems of hunger in the world.
At the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 September, the Minister of State raised the food crisis in Africa with a view to emphasising its dimensions and the need for exceptional assistance to alleviate the deteriorating situation. In the subsequent discussion in the Council, there was a general desire to take further steps to help in addition to the level of assistance already provided and the Commission indicated that they would bring forward proposals.
Following constant contact, recently greatly intensified, with the Community institutions concerned, the way has been cleared to transfer 32 million ECU, about IR£23 million to the emergency relief line of the Community budget. This will enable the Commission to commence an immediate plan of emergency action for Ethiopia and other countries affected by famine. This money will be used to cover internal transport costs, medicines, blankets and the purchase of food locally, where available, in the African countries affected.
This programme will be put into action with the support of Commission delegations, governments and organisations operating on the ground and in close co-operation with the competent international organisations and with Community member states, both under existing co-ordinating procedures and at a meeting on the Sahel and Ethiopia, to take place shortly in Brussels. In the short term the Community is also moving to provide an additional 100,000 tonnes of cereals, in addition to the 45,000 tonnes already provided in normal and emergency food aid to Ethiopia this year under the Lomé Convention.
In view of the estimates of food requirements over the next 12 months for people at risk, major further efforts will also be required by other, non-Community donors. The Secretary-General of the United Nations issued an appeal on 26 October and the Foreign Minister of Australia has called for a UN lead for co-ordination of international relief. This is clearly a sensible approach.
It is our intention that the Foreign Ministers of the Ten would review the situation at their informal meeting in Ireland next weekend, and the Irish Presidency are proposing that there be detailed discussions at the meeting of the Council to be attended by Development Ministers on 6 November. The Deputy can be assured that the Presidency will take all steps that can be effective in evoking a Community response, commensurate with its place in the world, to the emergency in Ethiopia, in many other countries in Africa and elsewhere.
Is the Taoiseach aware of the deep, widespread, emotional impact on the Irish people of the famine situation in Ethiopia, in particular, and in the other surrounding African countries? Would he agree with me — I am sure he would — that nothing less than an assurance that everything possible is being done on as large a scale as possible will satisfy public opinion about this tragic situation?
Furthermore, would the Taoiseach accept that in proposing that a Cabinet Minister be put in full charge of the national campaign I was speaking from long experience of these matters? I know that in a situation like this — and I am sure the Taoiseach will agree — it is necessary to cut through bureaucratic delays and log jams, that while the Minister for Foreign Affairs will do what he can in co-ordinating the efforts, nevertheless it would be desirable that some one particular Minister be given authority and responsibility by the Taoiseach and the Government to do everything possible within this country to ensure that the maximum possible effort is put into this exercise. I am sure the Taoiseach would agree also that, while an individual Minister might exercise his maximum efforts in co-ordination and co-operation, nevertheless what is concerned here is a job of mobilising every resource we have inside the country, and getting the co-operation of other Ministers, Departments, institutes and State bodies so that the maximum effort is undertaken.
I know the Taoiseach agrees with me on the whole tragedy of the situation in Ethiopia, but would he not consider appointing such a Minister with overall authority and responsibility for mobilising everything we can within the country, making a maximum effort in this regard, not taking in any way from what individuals or charitable organisations are doing, but getting all organisations, private and public, particularly State companies and Government Departments, activated and motivated in an all-out effort?
I share the Deputy's assessment of public concern that everything possible be done in this country, and indeed by other countries with which we are associated, to relieve this situation. I do not think anybody would demur from that. The question is how best to organise this effort. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of State in his Department with particular responsibility for development co-operation, between them have the contacts with the organisations in this country which have been effective in developing non-governmental aid, both in organising the collection of funds, resources and in arranging for their distribution on the spot. I am quite clear that the appropriate Minister to be in charge of this whole activity is the Minister for Foreign Affairs, assisted by his Minister of State. To involve any other Minister in the process would be only to divert the single-minded effort away from the area in which it is being undertaken. I am convinced that the arrangement we have of giving the Minister for Foreign Affairs and his Minister of State full authority in this matter — and here they have the full backing of the Government in everything they decide to do in this regard — is the best way of handling the situation and that any other arrangement would only carry the risk of confusion or delay as against the arrangement we now have which has been tried, tested and has worked extraordinarily well. The relationship between the Minister, his Minister of State and the agencies concerned is very close. I will do nothing to disturb that. I will do everything I can to encourage its further development.
I shall not press the Taoiseach any further on that point. I must say, however, that I would not be satisfied that a Minister for Foreign Affairs, as such, would be in a position, for instance, to direct An Bord Bainne, Aer Lingus or——
A question, Deputy, please.
——anybody else. I shall leave that point for the Taoiseach to consider further.
May I ask him about his position as President of the European Council where perhaps his efforts could be even more efficacious than anything we could do in this country? Would he advert to the fact that my question calls for the release of all suitable food surpluses? I accept that some surpluses may not be suitable, but all available and suitable food surpluses should be released and then transported as expeditiously as possible? In that context might I draw the Taoiseach's attention to the fact that every day there leave this country refrigerated trucks carrying Irish meat and products to the middle of Africa. On one occasion, because the countries of Western Europe were determined that it should be done, they were able by an air lift, to support the city of West Berlin for a long and considerable period using nothing but aeroplanes. When there was an armed conflict in Nigeria different countries experienced no difficulty in flying in an unceasing stream of arms to that particular part of Africa? I am merely mentioning these matters as an indication to the Taoiseach of what has been done in the past and what could be done now if Europe dedicated and committed itself to doing something on a vast scale.
Would the Taoiseach accept from me that the ordinary person in the street finds it very difficult to understand how we have all these mountains, lakes and surpluses in Europe and why they cannot be made available to the starving peoples of Africa?
In response to a particular part of my question would the Taoiseach indicate whether he has been in touch, individually and severally, with the Heads of Governments of the Community and, if not, whether he thinks it would be profitable for him to do so at this stage with a view to securing some major, dramatic breakthrough in this appalling and tragic situation?
I think we have secured a major and dramatic breakthrough in terms of Community aid in the decision recently taken. The Irish Presidency has played a significant part in bringing that about. As I indicated in reply to the original question, we have been concerned since the beginning of our Presidency with this problem, concerned that the Community should act at a level of effectiveness in providing the financial resources and in making available relevant and appropriate forms of food surpluses. We put a particular effort into securing that this be achieved. It might be fair to say that consciousness of this problem is greatest perhaps in Ireland and in Britain, for particular reasons of the publicity that this appalling tragedy has secured in these two countries. Therefore we have played a particular role in activating the concern and interest of other countries in the Community in general. I think that has been done effectively and that we now have for the immediate future adequate resource and an adequate supply of food, grain in particular, available.
The problems remaining are primarily of distribution in Ethiopia — I shall concentrate on the short term at present — that is those envisaged in the next month or two. As I say, the primary problem is one of distribution within Ethiopia. There are difficulties, like congestion in the ports. There is the possibility of bypassing the ports by air or otherwise and delivering the goods by trucks to affected areas. These problems are being tackled. We have non-government organisations which are being used by us and indeed by other countries to get supplies through. We are concentrating our efforts on the problems that remain to be solved.
How much of the £250,000 referred to last week has been allocated and in use? The Taoiseach said earlier that some of the money would cover the cost of transporting drugs and the grain from the IFA. What is being done with the balance of the money? The Taoiseach said that 100,000 tonnes of EC surplus grain was being allocated. How soon will that grain reach Ethiopia, apart altogether from the distribution?
Approximately half of the 100,000 tonnes of cereals will go to Ethiopia. This matter was discussed in Brussels today among representatives of the ten countries. Already, substantial supplies have been allocated to Ethiopia. The total requirements in the next 12 months will be 600,000 tonnes. Therefore, the amount allocated already will be sufficient for a short time and then the position will have to be reviewed. The important thing is that we have reached this stage of allocating the resources and providing the food aid for the immediate future. We will now have to pursue the matter to ensure that the aid will get to the affected areas as rapidly as possible. Later we will have to review the position to ensure continuance of this assistance by the Community and other countries who can provide the means.
It has struck me, and I hope it has been brought to the attention of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, that there has been concentration on aeroplanes and ships, but we have the new system of international trucking. Would the Taoiseach and Minister consider mobilising our considerable capacity of articulated refrigerated trucks capable of delivering food to any part of Africa?
I will consider that. The immediate problem in Ethiopia is one of internal distribution rather than of getting grain there to the ports. I will bear the Deputy's suggestion in mind.
The Taoiseach did not answer my question in relation to the £250,000.
The money is available for use. Part of it has been used in relation to the charter of an aircraft next week. We are only starting to use the money. That is the only sum available for use at the moment. It will be used for any purpose necessary. The most appropriate and immediate use seems to us to be to get supplies there, supplies which have been collected by non-Government agencies in the country.
It was announced here last week that meetings would take place the following day with voluntary organisations to discuss how the £250,000 would be allocated. The Taoiseach now tells us it has not yet been allocated except for one case. Would he indicate when it will be allocated?
Money has been allocated and there is a surplus. The drawing down of the money will be arranged by the Minister for Foreign Affairs in conjunction with the agencies. It will be used for any purpose for which it is needed. Through the money raised by the voluntary agencies and the funds made available by the Government we can ensure the results we all want to achieve. There are no limits or constraints on how the money can be used.