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

I thank Mr. Ging and appreciate him putting on the record Ireland's ongoing substantial contribution to overseas development aid, and also the work of Mr. David Donoghue in advancing the sustainable development goals. During this committee and over the course of the previous Dáil, we had a very good exchange with Mr. Donoghue here in advance of the September meeting, when development goals were being finalised. Mr. Ging's contribution is comprehensive, graphic and sobering in regard to the many crises in so many regions throughout the world. I think the fact that Mr. Ging mentioned that, at the start of this year, there was the greatest caseload of humanitarian need since the Second World War, and that in the meantime, that caseload is increasing, it is not even remaining static or decreasing. I think Mr. Ging also makes the valid point that the crises are arising from conflict which could be avoided. I presume he does not want to go into the general political scene. I appreciate that, but I am sure that the political instability throughout the world, be it in Europe, in the United States, or elsewhere, is not helping to advance decisions that would try to eliminate these conflicts or at least reduce them.

We recently had presentations here from Médecins sans Frontières, MSF, and other NGOs. There was one very striking presentation by a midwife, an Irish nurse who had returned from working in South Sudan. Her description of the absolute poverty and suffering of the people in those areas was alarming. One of the messages that the nurse, Ms O'Connell I think it was, and her colleagues brought to us is that there are a number of areas where no humanitarian assistance reaches. She referred in particular to north east Nigeria and Yemen. Assistance is not even reaching the most deprived people to any extent to try to improve their lot. Does the OCHA see any way of trying to improve the provision and distribution of aid, particularly to areas that have been inaccessible to date? I think Mr. Ging mentioned Syria himself and so many people there being denied access to assistance. It is very much the same picture that the MSF people painted for us that day as well.