Northern Ireland should be supporting disaster areas like Haiti

Wednesday 3 February 2010

MLA's will discuss how Northern Ireland can contribute to relief efforts in places like Haiti when the meet with the British Minister for Overseas development Aid, Mike Foster MP tomorrow in Stormont.

Conall McDevitt, the SDLP MLA for South Belfast, will ask colleagues on the Assembly All Party Group on International Development to consider how the North could develop a strategy which will allow local emergency response teams, medical teams and members of the public to play an active role in the response to disasters and the reconstruction of countries such as Haiti.

The All Party Group does not enjoy the same status as a statutory committee and so does not receive any finance from the Northern Ireland Assembly as this remains within the jurisdiction of the British Government.

The group, under Carmel Hanna's leadership, met with their counterparts in the South including Overseas Development Minister Peter Power TD to discuss ways in which they could contribute to Irish Aid's efforts in assisting with international development.

"We will be putting this to Minister Foster at the meeting and exploring ways in which we, as an Assembly group can work with the two governments to make a valuable contribution to overseas development.

We have many people from this region involved in overseas aid work though our numerous charities, the British and Irish Governments. I think the time has come to look at how make a contribution of our own. To allow this region to takes its place amongst other regions around the world and formally recognising the many thousands of our people who play such a big part in overseas development"

Diary note:
The meeting is set to take place on Thursday 4 February at 11am in Parliament Buildings.