Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair. I welcome our three guests. Ms O'Donnell knows her way around these Houses. I am sure that makes it a little easier. I am obviously very strongly in support of what our guests are doing. It is very important work. It is good the broadcast media are working with them on this. I am impressed with the number of organisations involved. Before I say much more I re-emphasise what Ms O'Donnell said about the horror that is Gaza. While we all have revulsion around what happened on 7 October the response to it is a horror and an obscenity in human terms. That cannot be said often enough, nor can we call for a cessation of that violence often enough, as well as safe passage for all humanitarian aid and a ceasefire. I am proud of the Irish stance on it and the position the Tánaiste has taken on it. The Irish people have a particular history and a particular culture. There are certain things in our DNA and the best of that DNA came out on this one.

As I said, I am impressed by the number of organisations involved in the alliance. The biggest issue for the public is to know charities and collectives of charities have a tight administrative structure and a high level of transparency and accountability. The witnesses may wish to comment further on that and the various mechanisms to be used to achieve it. The spirit of generosity of the people is not at issue. There is a willingness to donate. We are a very wealthy, successful country now and we should be willing to do so, and we are in general. However, it is necessary to have that transparency to keep confidence and ensure the organisations can continue. The witnesses might also comment on patterns they have noticed recently. There has been so much recently. As Ms O’Donnell mentioned, there is the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine. Is there any degree to which we are suffering fatigue? Are the organisations detecting any evidence of that? It would be so sad if that were so. The memory of the Famine is so much ingrained in our psyche, as are our experiences as an emigrant people and an immigrant people and that affects us. I am interested in the witnesses’ reaction to a few of those points. Other than that, I am completely in support. We as a committee should do as Ms O’Donnell requests and make the plea to the Tánaiste as outlined.