Gay Mitchell
Ceist:200 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if all of the aid pledged by the Government to the tsunami victims in south east Asia will be fully honoured. [14880/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 10 May 2005
Ceisteanna (149, 150)
Kathleen Lynch
Ceist:203 Ms Lynch asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount which was pledged by the Government to the victims of the tsunami disaster; the amount of this aid and the groups to which it has been disbursed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14993/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 203 together.
Ireland was one of the first countries to respond to the tsunami disaster. When the scale of the disaster became clear, the Taoiseach and I jointly announced that our funding would rise to €10 million. Prior to that, and in the immediate wake of the disaster, it had been doubled from an initial pledge of €1 million to €2 million. In addition, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, visited the affected region in early January with the heads of Concern, GOAL, the Irish Red Cross and Trócaire. On that occasion, he pledged a further contribution, doubling Ireland's pledge to €20 million, to address longer-term recovery and reconstruction, as well as immediate needs.
Ireland will fully honour its pledge of assistance to the tsunami-affected region. It is essential that international pledges are met and that the funds contributed are used in the most effective way possible. Ireland has expressed support for the enhancement of EU and UN tracking systems which will monitor pledges and delivery.
To date, approximately €11.3 million has been made available towards meeting the needs of affected people in the aftermath of the disaster. This funding has been provided to a range of non-governmental organisations, NGOs. These are Christian Aid Ireland, Concern, GOAL, Gorta, Habitat for Humanity, Hope Foundation, Mercy Corps, Oxfam Ireland, Plan Ireland, Trócaire and World Vision Ireland. Funding has also been contributed to the Red Cross family.
Ireland has assisted United Nations agencies, including UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Defence Forces provided a number of skilled personnel in the area of logistics to help with the recovery efforts. We are examining recovery and reconstruction plans, which will provide an opportunity to assist the affected populations in the rebuilding of their lives and livelihoods. Ireland will continue to support NGOs and UN agencies for their ongoing engagement in the affected region. The reconstruction planning and implementation tasks ahead are enormous.
A special envoy has been appointed for the tsunami-affected region. The envoy, former Minister of State and current chairman of the Advisory Board for Development Co-operation Ireland, Mr. Chris Flood, has made two visits to the affected countries. During his visits, the envoy met a wide range of organisations and individuals, including senior government representatives. The envoy's mandate is to oversee the disbursement of Ireland's assistance and to ensure it is done in line with best international practice and meets the needs of the most affected.
Ireland remains closely engaged with ongoing developments in relation to the aid effort in the tsunami-affected countries. We are in constant liaison with all stakeholders including our partners in the NGOs, UN and international agencies. This engagement will be actively maintained.