Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 136: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which commitments entered into by the international community in the aftermath of such natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti have been honoured in full or in part; the degree to which it can be anticipated that such commitments will be delivered on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9988/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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On 12 January 2010, Haiti was struck by one of the most devastating earthquakes in recent history, causing approximately 230,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries. The earthquake destroyed much of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, left about 1.5 million people homeless and caused losses and damage estimated at approximately €5.9 billion. Given the scale of the death and destruction inflicted, it is perhaps little surprise to learn that the country is still struggling to rebuild and recover.

In spite of the enormous challenges however, some two years on from the quake, a massive and sustained humanitarian operation has nevertheless yielded remarkable results. Almost a million people have moved from camps to homes. Under extremely challenging conditions, five million cubic metres of debris have been removed, 400,000 houses have been inspected for damage, and shelters have been provided for 420,000 people. Many schools and hospitals have been rebuilt, and more children are being educated today than before the earthquake.

While focusing on longer-term development, we should also remember that the humanitarian crisis in Haiti is far from over. More than 500,000 people still live in camps, and a cholera epidemic continues to claim lives. The underlying structural challenges, including under-development and governance, also need to be addressed as we move from crisis to recovery.

Large-scale investment will therefore continue to be required both in order to provide immediate relief and to help rebuild destroyed communities and infrastructure. While US $4.5 billion worth of assistance has been pledged by the international community, UN figures indicate that only US $2.38 billion of this has actually been disbursed to date. We will therefore continue to use all available opportunities in international fora, in Brussels, New York, Geneva and elsewhere, to urge other donors to keep their promises and to provide the kind of long-term, coordinated and predictable funding which will be required in order to move Haiti from crisis to recovery.

For our part, we in Ireland have worked hard to meet our own commitments to the people of Haiti. Some €11.5 million of the €13 million pledged at the Haiti Donor Conference in New York in March 2010 has now been committed. We intend to meet our entire pledge in the coming months.

Irish funding has prioritised the needs of the most vulnerable populations, including women and children as well as the basic humanitarian needs of the population more generally. Support has been provided to UNICEF, Concern, Goal, Plan, World Vision and Haven in 2010 and 2011 for the provision of clean water and sanitation, shelter and housing to the affected population. €1 million was also provided to the Haiti Reconstruction Trust Fund for projects managed by the World Bank in line with priorities agreed with the Haitian authorities. Ireland's assistance has made a great difference in the lives of thousands of Haitians.

Since the earthquake, there have also been 18 deployments of the Irish Aid-administered Rapid Response Corps to Haiti to assist in areas such as logistics, engineering and water and sanitation. Volunteers have deployed to work with organisations such as the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Concern Worldwide, Goal and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).