Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Timmins. In fact, I have already suggested such a system to Irish Aid. It is difficult because it is a free world and any agency can say it wants to provide assistance. However, in a major catastrophe such as this there should be one fund - in this case, one Haiti trust fund - to which people can contribute, perhaps with Irish Aid deciding how the money is deployed by various agencies that have track records and expertise to offer. The key issue in emergency relief is that everyone wants to offer help. There is a genuine outpouring which we do not want to suppress. However, we need targeted, high-quality intervention that makes a difference. That is something we need to work on.

After a disaster of the type that occurred in Haiti, which was on an appalling scale, the public needs to know there is one fund to which they can contribute in addition to what the Government may contribute through Irish Aid, and everybody must co-ordinate resources. It should be possible to do this; perhaps, as a policy initiative from the Oireachtas, we should put that view forward. We need to make sure there is less duplication and overlap and that people pull together.

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