Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of financial aid that was promised to Iran in the aftermath of the earthquake centred close to the city of Bam on 26 December 2003; and the amount of this aid which has been given to date. [5463/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland was one of the first countries to respond in the wake of the earthquake in Bam, Iran in December 2003. On 26 December 2003, the day the earthquake struck, the Government immediately pledged €1 million in funding for the humanitarian and recovery operations. Subsequently, assistance amounting to a total of €1.57 million was delivered; €500,000 of the pledge was channelled to the International Federation of the Red Cross-Red Crescent, IFRC; €500,000 was provided to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, which co-ordinated the UN response on the ground; and the remainder went to Concern and Trócaire. The Government's funding was utilised for food, temporary shelter, water, sanitation and the rehabilitation of schools.

The Government is firmly of the view that the delivery of pledges of assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters and other major catastrophes should be a priority for all donors. We also believe that pledges should be delivered in a timely manner to assist in humanitarian operations, but also in order that the recovery and reconstruction plans can be implemented in a realistic timeframe.

I am aware of recent reports in the media that pledges made in the aftermath of the Bam earthquake were not fully met. The United Nations appeal was for approximately €33 million and almost €18 million was delivered. While additional funding through NGOs and other international organisations was provided to Bam, it is highly likely that the delivery of Bam pledges fell far short of the reported €1 billion committed.

Ireland has been strongly supportive of proposals to strengthen the monitoring of pledges made by international donors, including through the EU and UN systems. The post-tsunami action plan, adopted by EU Foreign Ministers at the recent General Affairs and External Relations Council, includes a commitment to improve the system of follow-up on financial commitments, as well as on the effective use of funds committed. It is through careful tracking of pledges and disbursements that we can get a true picture of how donors are delivering on their aid pledges. This information will make the process more transparent and will inevitably exert pressure on donors to make good on pledges.