Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I reiterate my party's sympathy and condolences to those who suffered so disastrously in the recent tragic devastation of towns, villages, families and communities and acknowledge the human pain and misery created by it. The individual trauma of those who have been injured or lost all their belongings is incalculable. When, at a distance, we speak in broad terms regarding our concerns, we must always bear in mind that we are discussing real people who are suffering deep tragedy, many of whom will never fully recover from the effects, either physically or psychologically.

When something of this nature happens, there is a tendency to blame, but there is no one to blame for these tragedies. We describe them as acts of God, so perhaps we can place the blame there. However, no government, person or organisation is to blame. We can question the capacity to respond, predict or prepare for such a tragedy, but we cannot blame people for the tragedy itself.

Massive destruction has taken place in six of the most northerly districts of North-Western Frontier Province and five districts in Azad, Jammu and Kashmir, including the provincial capital. The Minister of State said the death toll is in excess of 20,000 but reports suggest it could be as high as 40,000. Nobody can say for certain but the final figure will undoubtedly be higher than current estimates. Calculations are made on the basis of facts that are available at the time but it is obvious more deaths and injuries will come to the knowledge of the authorities. The non-fatal casualties are indeterminable but the final figure in this regard may be as high as 100,000. Where does one draw the line in categorising injuries? A person with a minor injury, for example, might be regarded as a non-fatal casualty.

It is of significant concern that many of the fatalities were children. Every society will protect its children as a first line of defence. In the past, the safety of children and women was prioritised when, for example, a ship was sinking. On this occasion, unfortunately, children are high on the casualty list because they were at school at the time the earthquake struck. As the Minister of State observed, the grief of their parents is incalculable. One can only offer one's sympathies to the people affected. Like other Members, I offer my sympathy also to members of the Pakistani community, which has made an invaluable contribution to Irish society and our economic recovery. Irish people's response to the tragedy should recognise that contribution.

I welcome the Government's contribution of €3 million to the relief effort. Will the Minister of State clarify that this money comes from the special emergency fund rather than the Third World fund? There was concern in the aftermath of the St. Stephen's Day tsunami that relief money should not be taken from the Government's allocation to the Third World. I assume the money being donated in the aftermath of this latest tragedy will be taken from a separate emergency fund.

See this speech in context