Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ms Wahlström is very welcome to the House. I was attracted to the topic of her speech. Last summer I volunteered in Rwanda and, looking at Ms Wahlström's 30-year career, I see she was in situ during the genocide there. What struck me is that, while it is a small country the size of Munster, it has 11 million people and is very much at risk of drought. It is already a country that has been defined by genocide. Following up on what Senator Mullen said about the role of women, that country has really been rebuilt by widows and orphans, because the majority of the men were killed.

What is the UN doing in areas that are particularly vulnerable? Rwanda has already suffered a human disaster and, in my view, is at risk of a natural disaster. What does the UN do in such areas and what special measures does it have in place for people who have already suffered? In her summation, will Ms Wahlström comment on how communities rebuild after natural disasters such as hurricanes, knowing they may happen again? I often wonder about this as I do not have that experience myself.

What percentage of government finances, in Ms Wahlström's view, should be set aside in budgets to be ready for the cost of natural disasters? We are now suffering for the first time from climate change in the form of flooding. Senator Mullins referred to flooding in Cork and in Galway, where I saw it happen. We need to be ready for this.

As well as having the emergency planning in place, we also need to have the funds. I thank Ms Wahlström for her time.