Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann fully supports the Government in its efforts to assist the people of Haiti in the aftermath of recent earthquakes.

I have come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, at which we heard from representatives from Concern, Haven, the Red Cross and a few others. I commend them on the fine contributions they made. We heard about what they were doing on the ground in Haiti and it is useful to follow up on that discussion with a debate on this motion.

I welcome the Minister of State. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the awful tragedy that has happened to the people of Haiti, to whom I extend my sympathy, particularly those who have lost many friends and family members.

This is a massive disaster. I prepared a script but, having listened to the contributions of the representatives at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, I do not know from which angle to approach this disaster. Some 200,000 people are dead, more than 190,000 have been injured and a great number are now homeless. How in the name of God can we meet that challenge? It is a colossal undertaking. I was taken aback by what I heard about the role being played by Irish Aid workers and how they were trying to get to grips with the problem. It is essential that the emergency needs of people in terms of health, food, water, sanitation, shelter and other basic requirements are met first. The problem is whether aid workers can get to them to provide them with such assistance.

The big issue that arose from questions put by colleagues at the meeting of the joint committee was whether the co-ordination of the relief effort can work on the ground. Is a central body overseeing the co-ordination of the relief work? I have a sense that the relief effort is all over the place. Perhaps I do not have enough knowledge, but that is my thinking on it. The challenges to be faced are huge. The rainy season is only two months away and those who can are moving out to the suburbs of Port-au-Prince. The challenge is to erect tents for people and to relocate families before the rainy season begins.

Is there conflict among the agencies as to which one will merit most in their delivery programmes? I have a sense that there is such competition, which is a concern as competition should not from part of their thinking in the relief effort.

I commend the Government, through Irish Aid, on its response, as well as the non-governmental organisations such as Concern, GOAL, the Red Cross and many others. Showing a united front by the various organisations is commendable. A website www.howyoucanhelp.ie has been set up to let people know how they can volunteer or donate to fund the relief effort. The outstanding response by members of the public in seeking to help those affected should also be acknowledged. Irish people, as always, have answered the call to help those in need and have raised some €10 million. That is a colossal sum of money from a population of only 4 million. The response is a credit to the nation and can be compared to the sum of €40 million raised in the United Kingdom which has a population of 67 million. The generosity of the Irish people in the face of such adversity is well documented. Ireland is the seventh largest contributor to the United Nations central emergency response fund. The Government was quick in its response in donating €2 million and distributing 85 tonnes of essential equipment which has helped an estimated 12,000 so far.

A co-ordinated response has been slow to emerge and my big concern is whether a central body will co-ordinate the relief effort. There is a weak government in Haiti and there is a concern about whether it can lead the relief effort or who will take the lead in its organisation? What role will the United National humanitarian section play? A motion was tabled at the meeting of the joint committee to the effect that the IMF should disregard Haiti's massive loan. This proposal should be given consideration We have a role to play in that respect.

The challenges faced in terms of reconstruction, the relocation of people, the provision of tents and the delivery of emergency rations in the next few weeks are colossal. In an article I read today it was suggested a new city might have to be built far away from the geological fault lines in Port-au-Prince. The international effort must take all these considerations into account. Skilled workers and professionals, including paramedics, nurses and educationists, who can give of their time and make their way to Haiti quickly are needed as a matter of urgency. However, as I mentioned earlier, there must be a partnership arrangement. If we are all donating money, there must be accountability in how that money is spent. There must be a partnership between the UN, the EU and the Haitian Government. I understand the US is hosting a conference in due course to discuss these issues. The time for talking is over; the required co-ordination must be put in place. Otherwise I worry about those who are homeless or have emergency needs. If we do not reach out to them now, I worry for the future of Haiti. It is the poorest country in the western world. We must make it our business to help it in any way we can. The Irish people have never been slow. We will continue to help, but we do need accountability. We want to see how the money is being spent and how it is getting to its locations.

I trust the Minister will consider my points and keep us informed, because we will have ongoing discussions about this massive disaster. The rainy season is approaching, followed by the hurricane season later in the year. We need regular reports on the situation.