Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is about nine years since we presented in this House the Human Dignity Award to Gina Herrity, an heroic woman who has been working in Our Little Brothers and Sisters orphanage in Haiti since 1993. She has suffered violence in that chaotic country. She wrote to me last week and what she had to say was terrifying. She is asking people to give attention to what is happening in Haiti. She talks about gangs destroying the country section by section, raping, plundering and murdering in horrific fashion, with thousands and thousands being pushed out of their homes. Even her mountain area, Kenscoff, about 10 km from Port-au-Prince, is, she says, surrounded by gangs. The orphanage's employees live in fear of their lives. She knows what is going on in the world with Trump, tariffs, Ukraine, Gaza and all the terrible things but she says somebody needs to talk about Haiti. She says how, over the border in the Dominican Republic, immigration agents are beating the hell out of Haitians before sending them back. They drag them out of hospitals and deport them. They bulldoze their little houses. She mentions how in recent days hundreds of people jumped into a flooded river to try to escape gangs in the centre of Haiti. She says she could write forever but she is begging us to pay attention to this.

I ask for the Minister to come in and for us to have a debate about this matter. Haiti is a country that is descending into chaos, with about 1 million people made homeless as a result of the gang violence, the killings, the sexual violence and so on. Some 5,600 people were killed last year. That is heading for an increase this year, with more than 1,600 already killed between January and March. Gangs control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and now they are moving out to previously peaceful areas like Kenscoff, where Gina and the orphanage are. There was a report in recent days of two police and four civilians being killed. It is happening in all the different areas.What is needed is a greater multinational force. The Haitian police are being supported to a limited extent by a UN police mission led by the Kenyans. They have about 1,000 personnel, but 2,500 is what was envisaged. Is our country engaged or concerned by this? Can we play a part in trying to address this desperate situation? I would be grateful if we could have a debate on this sad and tragic country at the earliest opportunity.