Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State and start by expressing the sincere condolences of the Labour Party to the people of Haiti for the recent terrible catastrophe that visited their shores. When the earthquake struck, it took over 100,000 lives and left 3 million injured and traumatised. I want to focus, however, on the response to the tragedy and what needs to be done in the years ahead. While I generally agree with Senator Norris, perhaps in my naïveté I have been impressed by the reaction of the United States to date. I saw President Obama on television in the aftermath of the emergency and Secretary of State Clinton visiting Haiti. Their response was heartfelt and measured up to what was required. I was similarly impressed by the efforts of other countries in the region. I single out Brazil and Cuba for their reactions and recognise the attendance of the Cuban ambassador this evening. We can also be proud of our own efforts. Some of the Minister of State's own staff are in Haiti doing their best to help with the relief efforts. It brought out the best in the Irish people.

I share Senator Mooney's feeling in that I am not convinced that the response at European level has been satisfactory. The response from many of our EU neighbours has been excellent but we must up our game at EU level. The response from the NGO sector has been extremely good. I mention Haven, in particular, an Irish charity which specifically deals with the provision of housing in Haiti. It has committed to the construction in the next two to three years of an additional 10,000 houses in the Port-au-Prince region which will meet about 5% of the home needs in the area. The group should be commended for its commitment and ambition.

I am also impressed by the efforts of organisations such as GOAL, Concern and Oxfam. I note the Red Cross's analysis of the situation, that recognises the massive disaster that has taken place and the huge relief effort needed, not just now but on an ongoing basis. Given the complex logistical hurdles that need to be overcome, effective co-ordination has been recognised as something that will be a key concern.

Wherever one looks, one sees Irish citizens doing their bit to raise money for the people of Haiti. For example, Leinster House staff have organised a coffee morning for next week to raise funds for the relief efforts. This morning, the Greenhills school in Drogheda visited Leinster House and collected money for the relief efforts. On Friday evening, I will attend a table quiz in Ashbourne to raise money. We have all seen numerous examples across the country of the best of the Irish in people who have come out and tried to raise funds.

Regarding future actions, Senator Norris mentioned debt relief. Currently, the Haitian Government owes approximately $900 million. I would like to think that we all agree on the need to write that debt off. An IMF loan of $100 million has been proposed, as its mandate does not allow it to give grants. The Minister of State might clarify whether it is possible for the IMF to agree a loan and immediately write it off. Ireland is represented at the IMF by Canada in a constituency that also incorporates numerous Caribbean countries. A board meeting of the IMF is being held in Washington today. Senator Norris stated that it would be in Davos, but I understand it will be held in Washington. It will be another few hours before the board meets and, while it has probably been a long day already for the Minister of State, I suggest that a telephone call be made to the Canadian representative, who represents all of our interests, to ask him or her to impress upon the board the need to agree the loan of $100 million, write it off immediately and write off the existing debt of $890 million. It is clear that the reconstruction of Haiti will be considerably more expensive. We need to ensure that funds are put in place.

I wish to discuss briefly the need to constitute a UN humanitarian relief force. Such a force was lacking previously and would have been helpful. Had there been a relief force in Rwanda, many lives could have been saved. From the analysis of Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian general sent on behalf of the UN to try to prevent the outbreak of genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s, it is clear that the lack of a UN rapid reaction humanitarian task force hampered the prevention efforts. A similar task force would have helped Haiti and put more people on the ground straight away. Perhaps we could learn a lesson and put something in place for the future.

Natural disasters will occur, but the area of earthquake prediction must see more research. Buildings must also be better designed. If the Haitian earthquake had hit the San Andreas fault in California, we would not have seen the same level of catastrophic loss. We must learn lessons about building in regions prone to earthquakes. I do not know whether adoptions have been mentioned. While it is important that our rules not become lax in respect of adopting children who have lost parents in this tragedy, any previously agreed adoptions that are being processed could be fast-tracked with all due consideration and care for individual cases.

Volunteering presents an excellent opportunity for experienced sanitation and water engineers, teachers, medical professions and so on to give of their time. I include people who have recently left employment. Experience is key. I encourage people to get in touch with relief agencies and to offer their skills on a three-month or six-month basis. Their contribution to the efforts would be extremely valuable at this time. The Labour Party will support the motion and I commend the Minister of State on his efforts to date in this respect.