Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's medium to long-term proposals with regard to aid for the victims of the recent tragic tsunami in south-east Asia and overseas aid in general; if the Government will reconsider its broken promise and provide for an allocation of 0.7% of GNP for overseas development aid; if the €10 million which has been set aside for aid for the victims of the disaster is money in addition to Ireland's existing aid budget and not simply taken from the existing fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2911/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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All our lives have been touched in recent weeks by the events in the Indian Ocean region of Asia. We have witnessed the awesome destructive power of nature, the ensuing enormous loss of life and the heartbreak for families and friends of victims. We have also seen the best of human nature demonstrated in the global response to the disaster. My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, saw the devastation at first hand and has already reported on the matter to the Dáil.

The emergency phase is slowly coming to an end. The immediate and initial focus on saving lives and recovery of the dead has been completed. Many thousands of survivors remain in temporary accommodation in public buildings and in some camps. These people will continue to require assistance for some considerable time to come. The Government is supporting key NGOs and UN agencies in meeting the immediate needs of these displaced persons.

India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand have all been badly affected by the disaster. The death toll in Indonesia is more than 225,000; in Sri Lanka it is more than 30,000; in India, more than 10,000; and in Thailand the figure exceeds 5,000. These figures are shocking but they do not adequately convey the sense of loss of the families and communities which have been decimated. The physical reconstruction can get underway soon. However, rebuilding the lives and livelihoods and a sense of community will take enormous effort, time and assistance.

The Government has allocated €20 million for the relief of the victims of the tsunami crisis. Some €10 million is additional funding to the budget for overseas aid announced in the Estimates for 2005. The remainder will come from the Government's emergency humanitarian assistance fund, which is specifically designed to be flexible in order to respond to disasters and crises wherever they occur.

As far as disbursement of funding is concerned, approximately €9.5 million has been approved by me so far in response to requests. This funding will be used to meet immediate and ongoing humanitarian needs in the affected communities. Contracts are currently being processed and payments are being made.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Ireland's assistance is targeted at the most vulnerable populations in the affected region. The key areas being addressed are food assistance, shelter, livelihood rebuilding, care and protection of children, water and sanitation.

The technical team appointed by the Government to visit Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand to assess the immediate and long-term needs of these countries post-tsunami has now returned. The team's preliminary assessment is currently being studied with a view to guiding Ireland's medium term strategy in the worst affected countries. As the region moves away from an emergency response to one oriented towards recovery and reconstruction, further funding will be made available. This will take account of the recommendations of the team and will be in line with emerging needs and priorities in the countries concerned.

Former Minister of State, Mr. Chris Flood, the current chairman of the advisory board of Development Co-operation Ireland, has been appointed by the Government as a special envoy to the region to monitor Irish funding. He will track the use of Ireland's funds and ensure that these are employed in line with best international practice.

The Government remains strongly committed to achieving the UN target for expenditure on ODA. In the coming months, Development Co-operation Ireland will launch a consultative process that will lead to a Government White Paper on development assistance. All interested stakeholders will be asked for their views. The issue of how best to meet the UN target and in what timeframe will be taken into account in the preparation of the White Paper.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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In the context of the tsunami disaster, will the Government return to its commitment to an overseas development aid budget of 0.7% of GDP, given that there has already been a major deflection by other countries of aid from, for example, the African project within the world millennium development goals? In this context, it would be very valuable if Ireland returned to its solemn commitment to the United Nations.

The Minister of State referred to the figure of €20 million which has been pledged to the disaster. Before the Finance Bill is introduced, will he make sure the €10 million from the humanitarian assistance fund will become additional if necessary? For example, the humanitarian assistance fund is reported to the Dáil in terms of a gross sum. Will there be a specific reference to the €10 million and how it will be replaced within the fund so we can claim the €20 million is genuinely additional?

I noted with interest the Minister of State's statement that Irish aid would concentrate on Irish NGOs. How is such Irishness to be defined? For example, will it include all the affiliated NGOs in Dóchas or is there another criterion of Irishness which he wishes to announce?

I do not attribute anything to it, but the Minister of State made no reference to Somalia or Burma in his list of mortalities. There are very particular reasons why we do not know the figures in Burma, whose military regime was unfortunately recognised by the Government with poor results not so long ago. The omission of Somalia appears to be the result of a certain amount of disinterest on the part of the international community. Will the Minister of State reply to those questions specifically in the time available?

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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As I have said in response to previous questions asked about the commitment to an ODA budget of 0.7% of GDP in the Houses of the Oireachtas, we have not retreated from it but rather we hope to achieve it. Moreover, we hope that before the White Paper process — which will be announced shortly in newspaper advertisements — is exhausted and we travel to New York in September for the high level event with my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and the Taoiseach, we will put in place a new timeframe for the achievement of the target of 0.7%. However, I emphasise that the percentage target as a figure stands and the issue is now how we can realistically reach it in steps and set out the indicative figures, percentages and amounts of money which will be required in order to reach the target figure.

I reassure the Deputy that there is no question of Ireland following the practice in other countries in previous crises such as the Iranian difficulties in Bam and the floods in Mozambique, whereby pledges made were not followed up in terms of an actual contribution. This has never been the case with Irish emergency humanitarian assistance. We have always honoured our pledges by disbursing the amount pledged. There has been a practice internationally of the authorities over-pledging and not delivering.

However, we have put in place specific procedures. We are appointing our own envoy to scrutinise and oversee the spending of the money. At OECD level, I have asked Mr. Richard Manning, the chairman of the development assistance committee, whom I met in Paris prior travelling to the Indian Ocean region, to put in place a system to track the donations. He will correspond and deal with Jan Egeland of the UN so that we can track the money properly.

In regard to Somalia and Burma, I must emphasise that the recommendation from the task force of officials from my section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, namely, Development Co-operation Ireland, which travelled to the region, is that we concentrate in two countries, namely, Indonesia and Sri Lanka because they are in most need. I emphasise that the €9.6 million which we have already disbursed reflects the emergency needs of this crisis. The next €10 million will be focused on the reconstruction and recovery cost and it will be a slower spend than the early disbursements which, by their nature, were emergency funds. The follow-on figure of €10 million will be spent in a far more careful and cautious fashion, concentrating on the two countries in greatest need. Critically, however, we will also be making funding available for smaller lesser-known areas in which devastation has taken place. The Maldives have been mentioned, to which issue I intend to respond.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Perhaps the Minister of State will communicate with me on the issue of defining Irishness and the mechanism by which he proposes to secure the second €10 million, whether that is before or after the publication of the Finance Bill.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I do not intend to get into the definition of Irishness because all the allocations from Development Co-operation Ireland are open to all NGOs, whether they are international or Irish. There is no restriction on any NGO or organisation applying for funding from the Irish sources.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The time for this question has concluded. Six minutes are allocated for each question and we have already exceeded eight minutes on this one.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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May I briefly answer the other question about the Supplementary Estimates?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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No. I would prefer that the matter be dealt with in a different manner. We have already spent eight minutes on this question.