Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies Timmins, Breen and Higgins for their contributions. I also thank them for their agreement on the fundamentals regarding the Burmese situation and the devastating impact of the cyclone on the country and its people. The debate has been constructive and informative. I again pass on the condolences of the Government, the Oireachtas and our people to the people of Burma-Myanmar, especially the families of the many thousands who died in the wake of the cyclone. We offer our solidarity and our continued assistance to the more than 1.5 million Burmese people who have been affected by the tragedy, as Deputy Higgins articulated.

The enormous scale and destruction of the crisis has not been fully defined and detailed needs assessments have been hampered by infrastructural damage caused by the cyclone. It is agreed the relief effort has been hindered by man-made obstacles, specifically obstacles to access imposed by the Burmese Government. While improvements have been made on the ground in recent days, further delays in the provision of humanitarian relief cannot be countenanced and no further time can or should be lost in meeting the enormous needs for food, drinking water, shelter, sanitation and medicines of the affected communities. Together with our EU colleagues, we call again on the authorities in Burma to take urgent action to facilitate the flow of aid to its people. They are in desperate need and must benefit in full from the relief offered by the international community. We are encouraging neighbouring countries to use their influence to ease the restrictions the Burmese Government has placed on the flow of international aid. We reiterate the recent call by the UN Secretary General for the Burmese authorities to offer free and unfettered access to international humanitarian experts, including the expeditious delivery of visa and travel permits.

While the Government made an initial €1 million pledge, we contributed generously per capita to more structured provisions put in place by the UN central emergency response fund and the Red Cross managed disaster relief emergency fund and this is the best benchmark to measure our overall response to such emergencies. It is a more structured approach, which emerged following the tsunami a number of years ago in order that the world community would be in a better position to respond more quickly in a co-ordinated and effective way which would have the greatest impact.

I will take on board the comments of the Deputies and the issues raised, in particular, by Deputy Higgins, such as the moral dilemma. I accept his well argued position that sovereignty in its extreme form cannot be used as a basis for depriving people fundamental human rights and entitlements such as access to aid and the fundamentals of life. We are witnessing a fundamental abuse in Burma, which cannot be condoned or countenanced in any respect. I will take on board his suggestions regarding fellowships and so on. We are open to such ideas to advance the overall pool of people engaged in these issues as the best way of advancing knowledge and learning expertise that can be subsequently used for the benefit of mankind.

I appreciate the constructive engagement of my colleagues in the Oireachtas on this issue. I assure the House the people of Burma have our full support and encouragement and we will continue to work with our partners in the humanitarian community, in particular the UN, NGOs and the Red Cross, which are operating in Burma in immensely difficult and trying circumstances. They deserve great credit and praise for their work and they will continue to have our full support and encouragement in their efforts to save lives and rebuild the livelihoods of the affected people of Burma-Myanmar.

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