Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 21: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that humanitarian principles remain the cornerstone of the revised European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid in 2013. [12203/11]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 22: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the way he is meeting his obligations under the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid and works to implement the action plan. [12204/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.

The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, signed by the Council, European Parliament and European Commission in 2007, is the comprehensive policy framework governing the European Union's overall humanitarian aid response.

The Consensus outlines the common objectives, fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, and good practices that the European Union as a whole pursues in this domain. It covers the entire spectrum of humanitarian action, from preparedness and disaster risk reduction, to immediate emergency response and life-saving assistance to vulnerable people in crises, through to situations of transition and onwards to recovery and longer-term development.

In its recent mid-term review of the European Consensus and its accompanying Action Plan, the Commission confirmed good overall progress in the implementation of the Plan, noting, for example, that humanitarian aid has now become a fully-fledged policy area of the European Union, thanks to the new legal basis provided for it in the Lisbon Treaty. The mid-term review also highlighted improved efforts at coordination and advocacy as well as an ongoing effort to review funding approaches and adapt to growing humanitarian needs, not least due to the increase in the frequency and scale of natural disasters.

The review also noted that the EU, especially when acting together, is particularly well placed to ensure that its humanitarian response is appropriate, effective and based on assessed needs, and can play a useful role in influencing the preparedness of the international humanitarian system as a whole. When taken together, the EU (including both the European Commission and the 27 Member States) represents the largest single provider of humanitarian aid in the world, having provided nearly half of all such assistance in the past three and a half years.

Ireland is working actively to implement its obligations under the Humanitarian Consensus and in relation to the core humanitarian principles, which are enshrined in Irish Aid's own humanitarian relief policy. During its recent co-chairmanship of the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative, Ireland worked to promote donor compliance with these principles. We will continue to ensure that these remain the cornerstone of the planned revised Humanitarian Aid Regulation and any eventual successor to the current European Consensus.

In addition, Ireland, along with a number of other EU member states, has led the way in the development of innovative funding approaches, with many providing the largest share of contributions to common funds such as the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which provides quick and flexible funding for UN agencies as and when they occur. Ireland is the sixth largest contributor to the CERF, having provided €81 million since 2006.

Ireland also continues to pay specific attention to so-called "forgotten crises", such as those in the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which receive little media or international donor attention.

While much has already been achieved, Ireland and the EU more generally is committed to further joint efforts on aid effectiveness, including through greater burden-sharing and better coordination, coherence. We will also work to ensure consistency between EU humanitarian aid and other policies, as well as a strengthened EU contribution to the international humanitarian system through stronger advocacy for the protection of humanitarian space, including the promotion of international humanitarian law.