Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Like the Minister of State, I extend the sympathy and support of the Fine Gael Party to the people who have been affected in Pakistan and the general area of Kashmir and surrounding areas. The televised images of this disaster brings home its impact on the support services, which are miniature in scale when compared with the magnitude of the disaster. Four major disasters have occurred in the past ten months, the tsunami, the New Orleans hurricane, the Asian earthquake and the flooding in Central America. I acknowledge the great work done by the voluntary bodies such as the NGOs and aid agencies which have become major players.

The areas where disasters have struck seem to be lacking in supplies of heavy lifting gear which are essential for the early restoration of essential services such as roads and bridges and the removal of collapsed buildings under which people are trapped and may still be alive. The breakdown in the communications network and the road and rail network must be addressed at the earliest possible opportunity but the international community has not yet been able to make an effective input. The rapid response unit proposed by the EU could co-operate with bodies such as the United Nations as they are all involved in the same business. The difficulty seems to be in the ability to move the necessary machinery to where it is needed and without delay. This may not always be possible within 24 hours but it should be in place within two or three days or a week later. The greater the delay, the more difficult the logistics become and the greater the risk of a breakdown in law and order.

Natural disasters on a large scale require a timely response and support for aid agencies and voluntary groups such as the International Red Cross at an early stage is crucial. The criticisms of the local response in Pakistan are unfair. Infrastructure such as roads and telecommunications must be repaired so aid can be supplied. Given the frequency of these natural disasters, more co-ordination and speed must be introduced into any response.

I congratulate the Government for its efforts. It is expected of a country at this stage of development that it should be able to respond in that fashion. I hope the UN baseline figure for aid of 0.7% of GDP as envisaged in the second UN declaration will be achieved.

The responsibility remains with the developed world to respond as best and speedily as it can. Different situations have differing needs but the most immediate are housing shelter, drinking water, food and clothing. The agencies have the ability to deliver in those circumstances but co-ordination is required. Moral support is not sufficient as aid when people on the ground are waiting for a delivery.

Weather conditions have been a serious problem in this most recent disaster. The weather became atrocious at the time of the earthquake, which was unfortunate but one of those things that can happen. With a natural disaster, there is no way of planning for the outcome.

An early evaluation of the situation in a disaster area is essential. It is not always possible to do this, because evaluators may be travelling from the far corners of the world and the logistics of getting into certain areas can be very difficult. However, the earlier an assessment can be made, the better for all concerned. Assessments should also be as indepth as possible, to benefit those affected. For example, a week after the New Orleans disaster, people where still speculating as to what needed to be done. This happened in the most powerful country in the world, where the logistics, heavy lifting equipment and necessary gear were readily available. The problem in New Orleans was a failure to identify the full extent of the problem as early as possible and to take the necessary action. People were tripping over one another in their efforts to help, but there was no proper co-ordination of the relief effort. That is the lesson to be learned from that particular disaster.

We should learn from each and every disaster that occurs to improve the manner in which we respond. Unfortunately, there will be more disasters such as the ones we are now discussing. Global warming may be a factor but we cannot blame it for the recent earthquake. For whatever reason, it seems natural disasters are happening more frequently and in that context, we should learn from each one and put our experience to good use in terms of our response.

To reiterate, an initial assessment in any disaster situation is essential. A rapid assessment which gathers as much information as possible and identifies the needs of the people who are still alive must take place at an earlier stage than has been the case to date. Co-ordination of the way in which help is delivered is vital and relief efforts are more effective when co-operation from the authorities in the countries concerned is secured. The items that are most essential should be identified as early as possible, whether they be household items, shelter, food, water and so on. The order of priority will not necessarily be the same in every disaster situation. The items need to be assessed, identified and the means found to deliver them to the affected areas in the shortest possible time. If we do that, in the first instance, we will address the problems of the people who are directly affected in a meaningful way.

I extend my sympathies to the affected people in Asia and Central America. The Irish people have always risen to situations such as these and responded generously. I have no doubt they will do so now and again in the future. I hope the lessons we have learned from the past will be put to good use and will improve the way we deliver aid, if and when required.

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