Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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163. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to deploy, as a matter of urgency, an Irish-led humanitarian response team to Venezuela, including trained personnel and essential resources such as emergency relief supplies, medical equipment, and search and rescue capabilities, including trained search dogs (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50550/26]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the actions being taken in response to the recent earthquakes in Venezuela; if emergency humanitarian assistance will be provided through Irish Aid; if support will be given to Venezuelan community efforts in Ireland to deliver aid; if Ireland will engage through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to provide further assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50672/26]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 164 together.

I share the shock at the devastating impact of the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on 24 June. The death toll continues to rise, and the extensive damage caused has worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

On 30 June, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and I announced a €1 million contribution to the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This funding will support the Venezuelan Red Cross, who are amongst the first responders and are best placed to carry out search and rescue, provide physical and psychological first aid, restore family links and conduct damage assessments.

Ireland is also responding through our contributions to global humanitarian funds. $15m has been allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to UN agencies responding to the earthquake. CHF2 million has been allocated to the Venezuelan Red Cross from the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). We recently provided €1 million to the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund, managed by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is now also responding to the earthquake.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is liaising with Irish NGOs working in Venezuela on a possible deployment of relief items from Ireland’s pre-positioned stocks in the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Panama. This would be delivered in partnership with the EU, but through a different mechanism than the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Ireland prepositions essential relief items in strategic hubs around the world to facilitate the quick and cost-effective provision of relief items. There is no mechanism to support the shipping of items by private individuals from Ireland.

The Department will continue to engage closely with our EU, UN, Red Cross and NGO partners to understand evolving needs and provide all possible assistance.