Ms Jane-Ann McKenna:

On the Senator's first question regarding the impact on local organisations, UN Women launched a report in the past couple of days, which looked at more than 400 locally led women's organisations in 44 different contexts. What came out of that is more than 51% have been forced to suspend programmes. When we look at the types of programmes that are being most acutely hit, it is our gender-based violence, GBV, programmes. As you can imagine, those are probably the most acute type of programmes that are needed, especially in crisis contexts, which, unfortunately for many women, now no longer exist. We are looking at that knock-on effect of local organisations that have been hit by funding cuts the most being forced into having to suspend programmes and, essentially, are not only laying off staff but, unfortunately, are not able to provide those services to communities.

On the global humanitarian piece and private funding, there is a reality in terms of what the future financial model for global humanitarian response will look like. It all comes back to the intention behind it.

Humanitarian principles are based on independence, impartiality and neutrality. They are also what development work is based on. When we start to look at private financing flows to support development those are the principles that must be upheld to ensure it is not based on one's creed, religion, where one is from, what country and what it is producing, but is based on need.

I will come back to Deputy Ó Laoghaire's comment on Gaza. I have worked in the humanitarian field for many years and the most important thing in terms of being able to work in some of the most contested conflict areas is the acceptance of the local community and if one does not have that acceptance one simply cannot deliver effective aid assistance. As Mr. Clarken said, it can be seen very clearly what is happening in Gaza today. That incident highlights that if one does not have the acceptance of the community, one cannot deliver aid effectively.