Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their presentation. It is not that long since they came before us to discuss the Ebola virus and other matters. This committee discussed many humanitarian and other crises but when we hear the words "South Sudan" we feel a sense of hopelessness and despair with regard to a solution ever being found. All of the stories emanating from the country indicate there is chaos there and that conditions are extremely unsafe for people, particularly women and children. Mr. Andrews will be aware of the Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa, AWEPA, which has an Irish section that operates on an all-party basis. AWEPA had a programme in South Sudan but it was obliged to pull out of it because of the unsafe conditions. I am in awe of the GOAL operatives who remain in the country and who are continuing to try to do their work.

GOAL is faced with a number of problems. For example, conditions are dangerous and chaotic and they appear to be deteriorating rather than getting better. In addition, there is no end in sight politically and there is no evidence of an obvious solution emerging. There is also the reduced ability of the various agencies to respond to the crisis, largely as a result of the number of other humanitarian crises that are ongoing across the globe. What would GOAL like us to do? If the UN has no money and is actually halving its food programme in Lebanon, what can we do?

GOAL may be seeking more money from the Government but what difference can such money make in terms of having an impact on a crisis of the scale of that in South Sudan, which may, as far as we can see from a political point of view, continue indefinitely? Mr. Andrews referred to Ireland having leverage worldwide. Is he suggesting that we might use our leverage at UN or EU level? What is it our guests think the committee can do, in practical terms, in order to save lives?

I do not think we can have any input into a political solution at this stage.