Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Government has provided substantial aid and I hope it will be possible to continue that assistance. I urge the Tánaiste to ensure every opportunity is taken, at both official and political levels, to highlight the terrible situation facing so many people. I recall reading that more than 1 million people have had to leave their homes. An official of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that the situation for people outside the capital was even worse because they are geographically isolated. It is harder, therefore, to get assistance to them. For some the options are stark: stay in the jungle and die or come back and possibly be killed. It is a frightening situation. I welcome the aid that has been given and one hopes it will be possible to provide more assistance at an early date.

See this speech in context