Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I join others in the House in speaking of the terrible situation that has developed in Haiti. It is clear extreme hardship and great pain and suffering is being endured by that nation after the terrible earthquake that occurred there last week. The international community is seeking to mobilise itself to meet the scale of a problem that is regarded as unprecedented in emergency aid terms in modern memory. It is appropriate that we take some time in this House during the course of this week to have statements on the situation there, to express our solidarity with the Haitian people and to indicate to our own people the level of assistance and help, in terms of material help, financial help and personnel assistance, that we will try to bring to bear on that situation in an effort to assist these beleaguered people at this time.

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