Written answers

Thursday, 23 November 2006

Department of Foreign Affairs

Overseas Humanitarian Aid

5:00 pm

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the progress to date with regard to the development of a rapid response initiative to increase Ireland's ability to respond to global emergency situations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39472/06]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if arrangements for the storage of humanitarian aid at overseas locations have been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39515/06]

Photo of Jim O'KeeffeJim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the level, nature and amount of humanitarian supplies to be stored overseas by the Government; if the matter has been discussed at European level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39500/06]

Photo of Conor LenihanConor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 98 and 112 together.

A number of humanitarian crises in recent years have highlighted some shortcomings in the response mechanisms currently in use by the international community. This applies to both the response mechanisms of the European Union and of the United Nations. Efforts are underway to improve emergency responses internationally, which I fully support. Our Rapid Response Initiative complements these efforts.

The Rapid Response Initiative is designed to substantially enhance Ireland's response to humanitarian emergencies. Considerable progress has been made to date under its three elements:

1. Pre-positioning and transportation of humanitarian supplies to disaster areas:

On Friday 13 October, I signed a Letter of Understanding with Mr James Morris, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) on the pre-positioning of humanitarian supplies. Under this two-year pilot programme, Irish Aid will fund the purchase and pre-positioning of humanitarian supplies at the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) — the UN's main rapid response base, managed by the WFP — in Brindisi, Italy. The Brindisi supplies will comprise shelter and other non-perishable housing items such as kitchen sets, blankets, plastic sheeting, tents and mosquito nets, and water supply and sanitation equipment to benefit approximately 20,000 people. Irish Aid has consulted widely with several UN agencies, other donor countries and NGO partners to ensure that the composition and design specifications of the supplies comply with international norms and standards. Work is ongoing in respect of the development of a similar facility at the Curragh which will handle supplies in respect of approximately 10,000 people.

2. Establishment of a register of highly-skilled and experienced individuals for deployment at short notice to emergency situations:

The idea behind the establishment of the register is to provide an opportunity for a Rapid Response Corps of skilled and experienced Irish personnel to serve at short notice in emergency situations. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have been identified as appropriate partner agencies, which can provide the appropriate on-the-ground support for such personnel. Irish NGOs may also wish to use the register.

3. Enhancing the emergency capacities of international humanitarian response agencies and mechanisms:

Funding is being provided for the development of 4 regional humanitarian supply depots for UNHRD. Irish Aid will provide funding for the running costs of the regional humanitarian supply depot for Africa, which will be based in Accra, Ghana. Funding in the amount of €3.4 million will be disbursed in 2006 to strengthen the capacity of a number of key response mechanisms of the international humanitarian system — notably the key UN agencies and the Red Cross family.

Irish Aid is working to improve humanitarian response capacities on a broad front through a number of activities complementary to the Rapid Response Initiative. I have provided €10 million in 2006 for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of the UN. This Fund is designed to provide rapid funding to agencies to enable them to respond much more quickly to emergency situations. I have pledged an additional €20 million for 2007. Funding is also being provided to the International Federation of the Red Cross to build local capacity to meet emergency needs. We are also in discussions with NGOs with the aim of assisting them to build more capacity in emergency response.

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