Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 29: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has received the needs assessment of priority humanitarian aid in Gaza carried out by the United Nations inter-agency mission; if he plans to respond to the needs assessment by providing additional humanitarian aid to Gaza; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5232/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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On 2 February, the UN presented its consolidated "Flash Appeal" in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which included an analysis of humanitarian need, as well as an outline of funding requirements. The analysis focuses on the most immediate requirements, with more detailed needs and damage assessments still underway.

Among the priority needs highlighted in the UN-coordinated Flash Appeal are food security and nutrition; health; protection; education; agriculture; humanitarian coordination and psychosocial support. The Appeal seeks a total of US$613 million to cover the identified and estimated needs of 1.4 million people over a period of nine months.

The UN analysis highlights the fact that the closure of Gaza's borders during the 18 months prior to the conflict had already left much of the population in a situation of poverty and vulnerability. Addressing the current crisis is not just a matter of financial resources. The effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to those who most need it — and the longer term recovery of the territory — depend on the sustained reopening of Gaza's border crossings.

Irish Aid provided an initial emergency contribution of €500,000 to the Humanitarian Response Fund administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This Fund has already supported a range of Non-Governmental Organisations and UN agencies in responding to the current crisis.

This emergency contribution is in addition to a comprehensive programme of support to the Palestinian people, which includes core funding to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). This funding totalled €3.8 million in 2007 and 2008, with the same amount already allocated for 2009. Following a Resolution of the UN General Assembly, Ireland is now a member of UNRWA's Advisory Commission and will be represented at an emergency meeting of the Commission on 17 February.

A decision on further funding in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will be informed by the Advisory Commission meeting, and will respond to priority needs identified in the Flash Appeal.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the countries in which the conflict resolution unit of his Department is currently operating; the nature of the work being carried out by the unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5237/09]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the events organised by the conflict resolution centre in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5322/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 31 together.

The Government is committed to seeking to increase Irish engagement in international conflict resolution as a dimension of our foreign policy. The role of the Conflict Resolution Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs is to offer support for conflict resolution efforts internationally while also seeking to develop our national capacity in this area. It aims to draw from our own experience of peacemaking and peacebuilding and from the work of Irish Aid, while also developing a range of partnerships with relevant international organisations and NGOs.

The Unit currently has two initiatives in the field, one in Timor Leste and the other a cross-learning exercise involving Liberia, Timor Leste and Northern Ireland on how best to advance the role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

As one of the most fragile of the nine Irish Aid programme countries, Timor Leste was identified as an appropriate country for initial engagement. The CRU engagement there is headed by Dame Nuala O'Loan, our first Roving Ambassador for Conflict Resolution and Special Envoy to Timor Leste.

Our engagement in Timor Leste, in close cooperation with Irish Aid's development programme there, is designed to address key issues directly related to the risk of renewed internal conflict. Initiatives taken so far include support for an early warning and response system based in civil society, a programme on peace, remembrance and reconciliation, advice on security sector reform, and support for structured high level dialogue amongst rival leaders. Our Special Envoy and the Conflict Resolution Unit consult closely with key bi-lateral partners in the region and with the United Nations.

The cross-learning process on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on 'Women, Peace and Security' is designed to facilitate the sharing of experiences between Liberia, Timor Leste and Northern Ireland with a view to encouraging best practice. In addition to a meeting of representatives from these areas organised last November, a Conflict Resolution Unit project team has recently carried out missions to Monrovia and Dili. The outcome of this process will also feed into the development of Ireland's own National Action Plan on Resolution 1325.

Following approaches from some other quarters, the possibility of further engagements in the field is being explored. These must of necessity remain confidential for now.

Conflict resolution is complex and sensitive work and can only be carried out effectively in close coordination with other key agencies and governments. The Conflict Resolution Unit has broadened its network of contacts in the UN, EU and the OECD's Development Assistance Committee. It has a close working relationship with a number of international NGOs, particularly the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Interpeace, International Alert and the International Security Sector Advisory Team.

As outlined in the White Paper on Irish Aid, we have also planned to work with academics and civil society in Ireland to develop and draw from our overall national capacity in this area. I am glad that a system of fourth-level scholarships has already been put in place. Two three-year scholarships were awarded last year and up to five will be awarded this year, in conjunction with the Irish Council for Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

In terms of working with academic institutions, we have examined a number of models to see how best to capture the diverse range of research across all institutions and how to encourage collaboration between them. I am anxious to avoid the creation of unnecessarily elaborate structures.