Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the level of humanitarian aid that Ireland will provide to sub-Saharan Africa in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13037/06]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Emergency humanitarian aid of €60 million has been allocated within the overseas development assistance budget for 2006. This funding is allocated on the basis of humanitarian need to save lives wherever they are threatened. The funding is not therefore pre-allocated to any region of the world. Funding is released in line with the principles of best humanitarian practice which are neutrality, humanity, independence and impartiality.

In line with the good humanitarian donorship, GHD, initiative, in which Ireland plays an active role, humanitarian funding support should be released at an early point in the year to enable UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, NGOs, and the International Red Cross movement to respond in a prompt and timely manner to humanitarian needs in these countries.

To date in 2006, €38 million in humanitarian funding has been released to address human suffering and need in 15 countries. A total of €19 million of this was provided to the United Nations consolidated appeals process, CAP, which addresses humanitarian needs across some 20 ongoing situations, mainly in Africa. Most of the remainder was delivered through key NGO partners and humanitarian agencies such as the Red Cross family.

In addition, Ireland also provides assistance in response to sudden onset humanitarian emergencies such as earthquakes, flooding or other natural disasters. In 2005, humanitarian assistance was provided in response to emergency humanitarian situations in some 28 countries.

I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will continue to assist and address humanitarian situations across the world on the basis of assessed needs and through the provision of assistance to key NGOs, UN agencies and international humanitarian organisations on the basis of the principles set out above.