Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his introduction. We can take the individual Votes together because it is one programme. Pope Francis recently said that arms can get to places in very deprived countries where food cannot. That comment shows the failure of the international community to get aid, food and nutrition to many displaced people living in the most horrific circumstances. The barbarity, murder and genocide committed against people in Syria and that region has to be a source of great concern to all of us.

An issue I would like to see pursued is the horror being inflicted on many people in the Middle East being termed as genocide. A recent UN report made some commitment to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court. It is an issue Ireland should support and we should enlist the support of other EU member states. I do not think there is much benefit in having the slaughter and mass murder of innocent people and the horrors inflicted on many people in the region termed as genocide in 20 or 30 years' time. It should be done now. It is an issue we should pursue at EU and UN level.

Will the Minister of State tell us what percentage of GNP was our ODA programme in 2015? Is Ireland considering working with any new key partner countries in addition to the nine established ones? A widely quoted figure this week was that 65 million people are displaced worldwide. It is a terrible reflection on the international community. Deputy Durkan referred to the non-working of the UN. We need its architecture to be reconfigured and for there to be a change in its work methods, in particular in regard to the veto of the Security Council. It crosses over with the work of the Minister of State, along with that of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan. In every forum that is available to us, we should continue to raise these issues.

I take the opportunity to compliment the many people who deliver aid and assistance at the coalface and provide help to the most beleaguered people throughout the world. People are working with many NGOs, including lay people and religious missionaries. Many people volunteer to work in particular countries. They all deserve our commendation and appreciation because they are working in horrific circumstances. Over the years, the committee has had the opportunity to hear at first-hand the experience of different Irish NGOs, in collaboration with their international sister organisations. We want to send the message out that this State will continue to support as strongly as possible the work of those people in the provision of the humanitarian assistance that is so badly needed in many different parts of the world. Unfortunately, the demand seems to be growing all the time and aid is not getting to the most vulnerable people.