Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

In the context of the reconstruction of Haiti, it is important the funding provided be in the form of grants rather than loans. We should use whatever channels are available - whether through the Minister for Finance or the EU - to ensure that Haiti's outstanding debts to the International Monetary Fund are written off. Has an opinion been formulated with regard to the effectiveness of the rescue and reconstruction efforts in Haiti? Did we learn lessons as a result of the tsunami in 2004 or will it be necessary to learn such lessons in the future? Have the recommendations that were put forward in the aftermath of the tsunami been implemented? The Minister will have met representatives of the aid agencies and I wonder if they provided him with their views on that matter.

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