Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for the discrepancy between his Minister of State's recent appearance on RTÉ when he stated that since the Irish Aid programme focused on short-term emergency humanitarian aid, that there was no reduction in this, and the statement, later, by his Department that such funding had been reduced by 70%; the implications this has for the Irish Aid programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21823/09]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to the emergency response fund to human disasters and to the humanitarian relief fund. [21829/09]

Peter Power (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 67 together.

I welcome this opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about emergency funding through the Government's official overseas development programme, Irish Aid. Emergency response by Irish Aid is provided by way of the Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Fund (EHAF). The revised budgetary figure for EHAF is €56 million for 2009. This is a reduction of 30% and the new figure therefore amounts to 70% of the original figure of €80 million budgeted for spending under EHAF in 2009.

Emergency funding increased sharply in 2005 in the aftermath of the Tsunami. Following this adjustment in the 2009 budget, emergency funding is now in balance with the overall spend on Development Cooperation and now accounts for approximately 8% of total Irish Aid spending, a figure which is in accord with the average spent by all OECD countries.

Spending will be allocated throughout the full range of our established partnerships which include UN agencies, the Red Cross family and humanitarian NGOs.

In addition to EHAF, support for emergency responses is also available through a number of other Irish Aid funding channels. Irish Aid has a separate fund for Emergency Preparedness and Post Emergency Recovery (EPPR); there is the innovative Rapid Response Initiative which provides access to emergency humanitarian supplies at short notice as well as the Rapid Response Corps which makes humanitarian volunteers available to our partner agencies to assist in a response. Furthermore, our Programme Countries also provide emergency funding from time to time. In 2008, the Ethiopia Country Programme made funding available for an emergency response to the drought in that country.

In addition to our bilateral response we should not forget that the European Union also responds to emergencies on our behalf. Through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) the EU provides hundreds of millions of Euro to humanitarian emergencies every year.