In previous addresses I have made to both Houses of the Oireachtas on the issue of Iraq, I have emphasised the importance of a secure operating environment for the effective and impartial delivery of humanitarian recovery assistance. The same requirement is necessary to ensure ownership of the development process by the Iraqi people. I am heartened to note this view reflects that of Secretary General Kofi Annan, who stated in Madrid that success depends not only on the availability of resources but also on security. According to the Secretary General this will be the primary constraint now and into the foreseeable future. It is also critically important, however, that we should not lose sight of the humanitarian needs in Iraq which are still enormous. Helping the people to survive from day to day must be no less an imperative for the international community than the task of rebuilding the country and laying the foundations for lasting peace and stability.