Madam, - I am concerned, with respect, about the impression which a report in your edition of October 19th might give readers about the effectiveness of one area of the Government's aid programme, a programme which, as The Irish Times itself has reported on many occasions, is very highly regarded internationally.
Contrary to the sense of the article ("Fragmenting of Irish Aid raised in report"), this independent report on the Government's response to the Tsunami disaster states clearly that "Irish Aid made a prompt and appropriate response, and managed its programme of support in an efficient and effective way". It goes on to state that "the outcomes of the programmes funded were almost entirely positive since both survivors' relief and recovery needs were met". Moreover, the report praises the Government for "establishing clear guidelines for its funding strategy" and makes the point that "the appointment by the Irish Government of a Special Envoy contributed significantly in helping monitor progress". In short, the report was, overall, extremely positive.
The extent of the tsunami disaster of St Stephen's Day, 2004 was enormous. More than 227,000 people lost their lives in appalling circumstances. Within hours, and well before the full import of the disaster became evident, the Government had responded with a pledge of assistance, and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs quickly put in place a continuous monitoring system.
The scale of the disaster presented governments and aid agencies with a difficult and complex task. Ireland worked closely with a range of NGOs and UN agencies to best meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those most directly affected.
All evaluations, of course, identify valuable lessons and I welcome all the recommendations in this report. The report, while noting that our overheads were low, suggests that we might need more monitoring staff. We are, in fact, now fundamentally addressing resource issues through an independent management review of our aid programme.
In relation to the supposed "fragmentation" of support through funding of a range of NGOs, I attach great value to our channelling of funds through our NGO partners, who make such a difference on the ground during humanitarian crises. They would not have received funding if we weren't satisfied with their work.
We can be proud of the generosity of our national response to the tsunami and be fully assured that public funds were used in an effective and accountable way to respond to the plight of the people most affected by this appalling disaster. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KITT TD, Minister of State for Overseas Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin 2.